Triangle of Dreams
by WordslingerMagician
Summary: Jennifer and Vinear,a powerful Queen and Escort yet to find a court to rule, both have secrets to hide and it only gets harder to keep them when there's an evil Blackwidow plotting Jen's demise and a mysterious man who wont leave Vinear well enough alone.
1. Origins and Disastrous Parties

Jewels Fanfic

Jewels

White (weakest Jewel)-Yellow-Tigers eye-Rose-Summer sky-Purple Dusk- Opal (Can be Blood or Light) -Green-Sapphire-Red-Gray-Ebon gray- Black (Strongest Jewel)

The Jewel a person wears matches a person's magic strength, the higher/ darker the jewel, the stronger that person is.

Words in _italics _are regular thoughts

Words in** Bold** are conversations in Telepathy between people

Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the Black Jewel characters or universe ect., the Black Jewel universe ect belongs to Anne Bishop

Author's Note: I wrote this story because I just couldn't resist the idea of doing a Black Jewel's Fanfic. I also wrote this story for all of my friends and gave them and I characters based on their personalities in the story. They should be able to figure out who their own characters are because I only changed some of the names around. For you true Black Jewel fans, there will be original Black Jewels character coming in to the story in later chapters. For now and much of the story, it's my own made up characters. P.S. For my friends who can't figure it out, I'm Vinear.

Warning: There is and will be yaoi content in this fanfic series. I will try to keep it as light as I can for my friends and those of you may not like yaoi that much so don't worry.

Chapter 1

His mother was Eyrien; his father was Hayllian; that was why he had no wings. He had Hayll's golden eyes and brown skin, but no wings. This was an ever present burden on Vinear's heart his entire life. His mother met the man with no name to give 23 years ago, the man with golden eyes with brown skin. She took him to her bed, a hearth witch from Purrl, and he was gone by morning. He was a passing mercenary from one of the Hundred Families who ruled Hayll from the background.

She didn't know that she was pregnant and so for a while life had been normal for her, until her family and then the villagers began to notice the signs. They had questioned her. Who was the father? Was he Eyrien? Had he paid her? She had refused to answer and her family had drifted from her. The drift turned into a ripe at his birth. No one had ever seen an Eyrien male without wings who looked completely Hayllian in spite of his mother's blood. After his birth the family and his village tore away from his mother, and from him. They left when he was still a toddler, so he didn't remember them; he only knew the things his mother had told him. And knowing what he knew made want to laugh with bitterness from his heart. The family in Purrl had a history of cross breeding in the past. Somewhere down the line there had been breeding with Hayllians and because of it there were women like him, wingless women. The fact that it was a male this time had made it something that they couldn't ignore, because if a male had no wings he could not be a warrior, he had no worth.

He'd pieced it all together in that moment when he knew everything. His mother's diluted blood coupled with the mercenary's had been enough to trigger a _deformity. _That was what it was, a deformity. To all other Eyrein's in Terreille he was misshapen, crippled. They traveled around Terreille looking to serve in any court that would take them and as soon as the Eyreins became aware of his deformity, he had to leave again. And he knew that that they could have stayed, that they could have a stable home with warm beds and full stomachs, but his mother never wanted him to feel alienated, she never wanted him to hear harsh words whispered in his passing. So they ran and sometimes had days and nights without beds and full stomachs. But in spite of her efforts he was sure were born out of love, he still felt the alienation, and he sometimes heard a bitterness in her own words, and he understood it.

When he was eight years old they had finally made enough fair to travel to Kaeleer. There his mother was sure that they could make a good life. The Blood in Kaeleer were more understanding than the Blood in Terreille. In Kaeleer others would look past his skin. They found service in Agio in Ebon Rih and his mother worked in the kitchens of the wealthy and they made a well enough life there. He had noticed a difference, people's stares and whispers were more confused than damaging but that did little to change what he already felt, he was still on the outside of everyone else.

On his ninth birthday he had walk away with a Sapphire jewel and felt more eyes turn his way than ever before. Not many children were born to a dark jewel, and he had expected to be weak in the Craft. His mother was a Summer-sky witch, he did not know what jewel the mercenary wore but he felt certain that this power had come mostly, if not all, from the Hayllian.

He started school in Dhemlan. He would have gone in Agio but his mother wanted him to have better. She had found a man by then; a good enough Eyrien man that stayed emotionally far away from Vinear as possible, and that was fine. His stepfather paid for the better schooling in Dhemlan but he had to ride the Sapphire Wind each day outside the Territory and back. On his first day, he walked into the school room and felt the eyes burn into him again, staring at the Sapphire on his pendent.

Then he felt _it_, a scent of power that aligned with his own. He sent out a probe, just a spark of the Sapphire to see what it was, and when they met a ringing like the vibrations of a bell set off in his head.

**You're weird **A female voice on a Sapphire line. He surveyed the room until he found a blonde haired witch with a Sapphire jewel hanging from a chain around her neck. He stared. She thought he was odd? There was something off about her, and noise still rang in his head. He sent out another probe, cringing, steeling himself for the backlash, and felt _it_ again, and knew. _She's a Queen._

He paid attention to the people around her. The company she kept was certainly worthy of a young Queen, he knew that strength attracted strength. Two Summer-sky witches, sat on either side of her, an Blood Opal witch sat in the set behind her. They formed protective shield around her. One of the Summer-skys let off an odd psychic scent, scattered. The Blood Opal witch was strong in her own right. The other Summer-sky held herself in a strange manner; she seemed completely in her own world, her face hidden behind a book.

**Would you stop doing that? You're making it very hard to mindlessly doodle!**

Doodle? Did Queens use words like _that_? He looked across at her desk. A pencil scribbled lazily across a sheet of paper. Well, he guessed she was _doodling. _His mind was distracted. He wanted to talk to her, he had never met someone his age that wore a jewel as dark as his, and there was more to it. Her eyes were Hayllian gold, but her skin was white like the witches of Kaeleer. She was a crossbreed, like him. Not like him, she was a Queen, not like him but similar. He wondered for a moment if this is what the adult Blood talked about, the desire that a Prince felt to be around a Queen. It wasn't at all sensual, but a pulling force to at lest get to know her, and for once he felt normal.

**Do you know how to close your barriers?** he blinked

**What?**

**Your barriers. You've been keeping a Sapphire line open and I've heard every thought that you've had for the past twenty minutes. It's been _very_ distracting. You think way too much. **His face paled. She'd heard_ everything_? Mother Night! **What's you're name? **she asked**.**

**uh…Vinear **he stuttered. He wasn't used to talking to new people and he wasn't used to talking this way very much at all.

**Ooh, Eyrien,** she squinted her eyes at him in an odd grin. Can I call you Vi for short?

**umm…okay**, what was he suppose to say to that? **What's yours?**

**Jennifer Jebadiah. Jen for short.**

**(Present Day) **

**Amdarh **

"There you are!" He had been leaning against the balcony railing, revisiting the past as he'd often done in the last fourteen years. How much had changed since then? To someone on the outside it would seem like everything had changed in someway. They had all gotten darker jewels, they had all become strong, and most of them had found lovers. But for Vinear very little had changed at all, he still felt bitter. He still felt alone.

"You know, after all these years, you still think too much. Vinear, what's wrong?" asked Jen, "you hardly ever think this much anymore unless you're upset about something." Vinear stepped away from the balcony and turned to survey Jen's condition.

She was dressed in her usual favorite colors: black and blue, the shades of newly born brusies. Most of the Blood Jen met thought she was rather grim for wearing such colors. They thought a girl with such bright hair and bright blue eyes should not wear such dark clothes. Not that she cared, obviously. Most kept to themselves, for if they cared to notice her state of dress, they undoubtedly took in the necklace strung form gold and the five pieces of Ebon-gray hung form that very chain around her neck.

Vinear thought she looked overdressed. Which meant that she was trying; dressed too impress. After all, that was what they were there for, wasn't it? To gather amongst the Kaeleer aristo and make a name for his Queen, perhaps even secure a consort or a throne for her illegitimate court.

"Vinear, really," she looked at him with accusing eyes, then tilted her head and her expression changed into one of concern.

"I'm fine, really. I won't think to anymore tonight and if I must, you won't hear any of it, promise." She took a deep breathe and let it out in an exaggerated huff.

"Alright, let's get this show back on the road. Though, in truth I don't know if I can take much more of this myself. Mother Night, its so_ stuffy_ in there." Vinear took her arm in his.

"We all must do what we must in order to get anywhere at all in this world. Grin and bare it," he said. They left the balcony and returned to the party. Jen made a rough turn when she saw Kass, unconsciously taking Vinear with her, and he very nearly fell on his ass.

"Kass, I thought you would never get here!" Vinear didn't hear the hearth witch's reply. He was busy nursing the throbbing pain in his knee which had been jabbed into the edge of a table in Jen's hurry. He silently cursed her and was glad he had decided to raise his mental barriers again so she couldn't hear his thoughts. "Oh, its just been me and Vi all night. I've talked to everyone else at least twice in the last hour. I've been dying to see another familiar face."

Kass was dressed in her best. The best of a hearth witch, that is. She wore her favorite dark-green cloak that matched the color of her jewels. Those very jewels hung embedded in a gold loop on a chain around her neck. Underneath the cloak was a simple white dress. It fit her personality well.

"It seems that we have all arrived late. Jessa and I came in around the same time. She's around here somewhere with Scoltvar. And I just got a message on a Green thread from Chelsi. She and Jeremy are just a few minutes away on the winds."

"Did she say why they were running late?" asked Jen.

"I think it had something to do with another muddled spell." Kass fought to keep the edge of a smile from her lips.

"It figures. I wonder what it was she was trying to do," Jen openly laughed, "Maybe if we worked together…"

"No," Vinear spoke up for the first time in the conversation, his face red, "the last time you worked on a spell together it nearly set the house aflame from the backfire!"

"Not to mention it took days to get the stench out and clean off the charred marks from the floors and walls." Kass held a look of disgust on her face at the memory of the stench of burnt magic.

"I'm joking, I'm joking. I promise." Vinear knew that her fingers were mentally crossed.

A few minutes later, Chelsi and her escort arrived. The women went off to one side and Jeremy and Vinear went off to another,

"How bad was the damage?" Vinear asked, referring to the aftermath of the debauched spell.

"Not so bad, no physical damage done, anyway. Except now we have a murder scene reenacting itself in the guest room every hour on the hour." Vinear gawked open mouthed.

"What?"

"She found out why I got the house so cheap. You see, the people living there before us," he let out a tired sigh, "A mother and daughter. The daughter was forced to take her mother in when she became ill. The daughter was newly married and I was told that the mother treated her daughter's husband horribly and drained all of their finances. The man eventually left his wife after she refused to abandon the old woman. Things got even worse and the daughter eventually lost her mind and murdered the old bitch."

"Now that's very ironic, isn't it?"

"Wait, I haven't gotten to the interesting part yet," Jeremy continued "The daughter hadn't finished the kill, for whatever reason I don't know, and the old woman can back demon-dead and exacted her revenge on the crazy one. A regular tragedy."

"What does any of this have to do with Chelsi's spell?"

"When Chelsi found out, she tried to draw the memories out of the walls. She succeeded, but now she can't get the damn thing to stop repeating itself. I've watched the whole bloody scene at lest six times now. There's sound to the memories too. Try

sleeping at night with someone literally screaming bloody murder every hour."

Chelsi was a very powerful Green jeweled Black widow. Her ability with the Craft was so strong that sometimes-most of the time-her spells would become out of her own control. They may work but there was nearly always some glitch no matter how much she followed the books. That was just one of her unique traits. And when both she and Jennifer took it upon themselves to work together, it usually meant an even greater chaos was at hand.

Vinear was laughing inside his head, trying hard not let his thoughts show on his face.

"You're the only Warlord Prince I know who's so ridged with their money," said Vinear.

"Can I help it if I want to invest my money wisely instead of spending it all over Kaeleer?" Vinear grinned.

"I suppose not. The question is when are you going to start doing just that?"

"Bastard," spat Jeremy, half-heartedly

"Pale-face," retorted Vinear, referring to Jeremy's white Dhemlan skin. _All in good fun_, thought Vinear. It was then that Scoltvar came to join the conversation. Vinear said his hello to the Eyrien and left the other Warlord Princes to get something heavy to drink. He walked through the crowd of stuck up aristocrats, intent on seeking out and claiming the first bottle of wine he saw. He had to admit, though the Kaeleer higher-ups weren't as atrocious as the ones in Terreille but they were of the same breed, only lesser so. They made him feel out of place and his skin itched to get out of there.

It didn't help to be the darkest jeweled male in the room either. All eyes were on him. The women observing him like prey through their hungry eyes, the men glaring jealously, challenging him. He needed something to drink _very_ soon. And then he fell flat on the ground.

"Mother Night! Is today the day everyone tries to knock me into the furniture?" Vinear nearly growled in frustration.

"I'm sorry, but to be fair, you weren't paying attention to where you were going yourself." the most alluring voice he had ever heard. He had been assessing himself and muttering anger, but then he heard that voice, that strange singing accent (Yes, singing, that was the only word he could think of to describe it just then) that he couldn't place to any region or realm he knew, and he looked up.

The first thing he saw was the pale-like Kaelreen skin, then a pair of golden eyes set into a square but handsomely shaped face and those deep red lips. His hair was dark, cut short and a pair of dark wings jetted from his back. So he was half Eyrien and something else.

"I'm sor…sorry," stuttered Vinear. I guess I was in a hurry." Then the voices came into his head form all around him. He'd become so distracted by the stranger that he'd let _all_ of his barriers down and now his head was swirling with thoughts. He was falling over he's words as they fell out of his mouth uncontrollably. Finally he gave up trying to speak and turned leave, on his way to the wine table.

"Excuse me but might I ask what your name is?" implored the handsome stranger, pulling him back. "I don't believe we've met," he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and whapped away the sweat from his brow that wasn't really there. "Between you and me, everyone here seems a little uptight." At that point Vinear was intent on getting away from the stranger. He had no interest in getting to know anyone else that night. Especially someone so…No, he should introduce himself, at lest tell this man his name, mention his Queen.

"I am Vinear. I'm here as Escort to Lady Jennifer, in fact, I was just on my way to get her a drink." he lied. There was something about this man that set him on high alert, something that attracted him and frightened him, made him want run in the opposite direction. All the voices in his head coming at him from all directions didn't help.

"Vinear, I'm Palavar. If I'm not mistaken, that's and Eyrien name, isn't it?

"Yes, it is," _here it comes_, thought Vinear._ He's going to ask about my wings. Why I don't _have _them. He's going to ask me why I have an Eyrien name when I'm not a real Eyrien and…_

_"_It's a nice name. I like it." That's it? No questions about his _deformity_?No snide remarks. He had to get away. Mother Night, this was too odd.

"Excuse me, my Lady waits." Vinear made a motion to leave and Palavar gently grabbed his hand. And his head did a summersault, swirling his own thoughts and all the voices around like a tornado in his skull. Palavar cupped Vinear's hand in his own, his skin felt cold and then warm against Vinear's. Palavar squeezed Vinear's hand gently, looked him in the eyes, smiled, and said, "It was nice meeting you." The tornado in Vinear's skull was set aflame and became a fireball as the blood rushed to his head and turned his face red.

The Palavar let go of hand and left Vinear standing there, his mind a muddle of confusion and the voices of other's thoughts bubbling up. His legs threatened to go out from under him for the third time that night.

**Snap out of it, said Jennifer,** the one voice he could recognize out of the dozens buzzing around in his skull. **Get yourself together and meet me over by the bar. We can have a little talk then.** He nodded, mostly out of habit since he knew Jennifer couldn't see him.

Vinear steadied himself physically and mentally as much as he could. He let the meager thoughts of the aristo crowd slip easily through is mental fingers. He scanned them for gossip and anything that he might find entertaining.

"So, tell me about this fellow you just met," a sly smile crept across Jennifer's lips as Vinear approached the bar.

"There's nothing to tell. You heard everything there is to know." Vinear's voice sounded dry and he felt suddenly very tired. It was as if the contact with Palavar had drained him.

"I heard everything you thoughtbut not everything you _said_ and I heard nothing he said at all." The bartender came to take their orders and they both ordered the same things.

"I think we have some of that in the kitchens. If you'll just give me a moment, I'll go check," said the bartender in an eager pitch and Vinear could sense the over excited vibe in the bartenders mind, but nothing else and it made him a little uneasy. He was a gruff looking young man with dark eyes. "Jennifer and Vinear both nodded, though Vinear was a little hesitant.

"So tell," Jennifer demanded.

"I told you, there's nothing to tell. Why are you so interested anyway?" Vinear became agitated by her curiosity. Just what was she implying? The bartender came back holding two glasses of wine. He placed the glasses in front of them and left the bar, presumably on his break and Vinear thought nothing of it when he picked up the glass to drink. Then a though came practically roaring out of the bartender's mind as he left the bar: _Let's see how that bitch handles a massive does of _safframate. _Safframate!_

"DON'T DRINK THE WINE!" Vinear roared and Jennifer jumped in her seat, dropping her wine and the glass shattered loudly, the poisoned wine bathed the floor in a river of blood. The entire room ceased all sound and movement as everyone's attention turned to Vinear in fear. In a flash the temperature had plummeted, freezing the walls and windows till the windows began to crack from the cold. Vinear had fallen down deep into the killing edge in the blink of an eye and before Jennifer could even think to react, he was racing after the bartender.

He left the ground covered in ice in his wake. People shivered and shrank away from the cold in fear and their wineglasses froze and then shattered in their hands as he passed them. The bartender had begun to run in a panic, looking for a way out when Vinear had first roared out in his rage. He didn't know how Vinear knew he had poisoned the wine, of course, but it was obvious that Vinear did know when he came charging at him like an enraged bull.

**Jeremy! Scott! Stop him from doing something stupid! **Both Warlord Princes ran after Vinear, intending to stop him, but not knowing how they would stop a Gray jewel on the killing edge.

The bartender made a wrong turn and trapped himself on the balcony with Vinear coming up from behind. The balcony entrance closed behind Vinear though he'd not physically touched anything. The man quivered in fear. He might have tried to beg for his life, he might have lost control of his bowls all over the balcony. Before he could do either a wave of power from Vinear's Gray smashed into his body. He hit the edge of the balcony, his ribs cracked against the stone, his head hit the ground. He was bleeding but still alive and conscious. The glass panels of the balcony door shattered into sharp daggers, floating in midair by Vinear's Craft.

Vinear brought down the glass in a shower of deadly intent. The bastard screamed in agony as the shards stabbed him repeatedly in just the right places, deep enough and hard enough to be agonizing, but not enough to kill, not yet. When the man was reduced to a bloody heaving mass and he was hanging on a thread of life, Vinear brought down a last surge of power. The man's head exploded in a gruesome display, effectively finishing the kill.

Jeremy and Scoltvar eased their way on to the balcony. They could both sense that Vinear was still on the killing edge.

"Vinear, you need to calm down," said Scoltvar. He was edging closer to Vinear, his Red jewel ready to defend himself. He intended to block Vinear's passage. He didn't want Vinear getting back into the party and killing any of the innocent. Jeremy was prepared to backup Scoltvar, but he didn't know what good his Sapphire jewel would do against the Gray. Jennifer came in behind them then and sent a thought to Vinear.

**Calm yourself, Vinear! That's an order of a Queen and the Ebon-gray!**

Calm…what was..calm…A Queen..._his_ Queen whom wore the Ebon-gray and could smash his body and mind with her power. The air on the balcony became warm as opposed to the chilly winds they had felt beating down on them just seconds before.

"I'm fine," said Vinear. His voice had a guttural edge to it. He was still coming down, but he was in control. Jennifer took in the damage Vinear had caused. She saw a bloody heap of flesh on the edge of the balcony. The headless stump of his neck was bleeding out over the edge and down into the garden. From what she could tell and what she knew, Vinear could have easily just finished the man off with one blast, but Vinear had toyed with him to the very end. It was an ugly mess.

"Why in the name of Hell did you do _this?_" asked Scoltvar. The same question was on Jeremy's face. Jennifer had only idea why.

"He poisoned her drink with a huge amount of _safframate!" _Vinear was rising back to yelling in rage again.

"Why would he poison her with _safframate, _and how would you even know?" asked Jeremy. Jennifer stayed silent thinking. She knew how Vinear knew the wine was poisoned, they had forgotten.

"You know how I know," retorted Vinear, aggravated. He was referring to his unique ability. In the same year he had met Jennifer, Vinear discovered his strange ability to read the minds of all the Blood without them knowing. It didn't matter what jewel they wore or how skilled they were. There were no mental barriers that could keep him out of a person's mind and he could scan their thoughts without them knowing he was doing anything at all. Jeremy knew this, their entire Circle did.

He sometimes caught thoughts from people even if he didn't want to, and he sometimes caught thoughts from his Circle. Vinear and Jennifer had a mutual arrangement. Vinear could scan Jennifer's thoughts as long as Vinear kept his mind open to Jennifer. She had access to Vinear's thoughts at all hours of the day. He had nothing to hide from Jen, and it felt natural for him to let him. It was a way to keep the balance between Queen-to-be and Escort.

With that settled, they had no further questions to ask. Scoltvar and Jeremy understood. Someone had attempted to poison their Queen. Vinear, being a Warlord Prince by nature, killed the bastard. It made sense.

"Except," Jennifer spoke out loud for the first time out on the balcony, "Why did he poison my drink with _safframate, _and how paid him to do? I mean, _safframate_ isa powerful aphrodisiac, but it wouldn't kill me. Sure I would have gone crazy for a couple of hour, maybe days, but why do that and not kill me instead?"

"Maybe that's what they wanted, to ruin your reputation," said Scoltvar.

"And now we're back to the question of who would want to." Jennifer stared at nasty mess of human corpse in front of her and frowned. "You could have at lest left enough of him together for him to turn demon-dead so we could have questioned him," she scolded Vinear.

"Sorry," said Vinear. He was feeling extremely tired. The rush of the kill had completely worn off and he felt ragged.

"Well I suppose we should go back in and calm what's left of the other guests. Lady Zhara is going to be pissed when she sees what you've done to her balcony."

They returned to the "party" to find the room half empty except for the servants cleaning up the aftermath of Vinear's cold rage and the scurrying aristo.

"At lest the party's over," said Vinear.


	2. The Queen's Niece and Her Pawn

Jewels

Words in _italics _are regular thoughts

Words in **Bold** are conversations in Telepathy between people

Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the Black Jewel characters or universe ect., the Black Jewel universe ect belongs to Anne Bishop

Chapter 2

"That bitch thawed my plans!" Alyanda seethed. She wrung a silk handkerchief in her hands till it seemed the very threads would come undone. The Black widow sat in front of her web of visions. By all logic this should have worked, she's seen it in her web two nights before. At first it had been just a whisper of a dream, and then an idea, and finally a fully spun web. She did not see another path on the web and she shouldn't have. This was no siege she was planning. Not yet, anyway.

All the bastard had to do was poison the bitch's drink and when she consumed it, the _Queen_, that twit, would become so intoxicated she would beg every male like a starving whore for release. The web had shown her contorting on the dance floor in hysterics at every touch of the very clothes against her skin. Those clothes would have fallen off and revealed her pale skin. Alyanda had seen it all, seen the _Queen_ grab an aristocrat and shamelessly force herself upon him. She was supposed to have gone mad, if only for a while, but long enough to devastate her. Blot her from the eyes of the aristocratic world forever.

Jennifer would never be able to secure a court, and whatever friends she had left would forever see her marked in disgust by the memory of their Queen's foolishness.

It would have been wondrous.

Alyanda would become Queen of Amdarh. Oh, she was not _born_ a Queen, no, but who else could they turn to? There was no other Queens in the Territory and no more friends that her batty Aunt Zhara was so willing to give away her throne to. Yes, the current Queen had been a trouble lately, hadn't she?

The door to her chambers rattled.

"Alley, the door is locked again. Will you let me in, please? I want to talk, I… I'm sorry about tonight, darling."_Bloody idiot, he knows I always Opal lock my door. _A spark from her Light Opal ring brought the door swinging open and he came with it, falling down onto his knees still hold onto the door handle.

"I'm sorry, dearest. I always forget to leave my door unlocked for you. Silly habit, I guess. Will you forgive me?"_ of course you will._ He smiled at her, his face relaxing; clearly he had suspected that Ally had been locking her doors specifically to keep him out. As always his suspicions were swapped away by Alley's sweet alluring smile. It was those lips he loved the most.

"Yes well, there's nothing to forgive, darling," said Bobbin in his most forgiving tone. "Actually, love it's I who should be begging for your forgiveness." His face fell and he suddenly became very intent on his boots and the ingraining of the floor.

That was right. It had been Bobbin's job to find and higher a wine server at Zhara's party. Well, server wasn't the right term, was it? No, he was supposed to find a man desperate enough for coin that would be willing to poison a Queen. Alyanda suggested plenty of not-so-gentle-men that she knew could handle the job. Men her father had done work with in past years.

Bobbin had been so insistent on finding a man on his own. When his pathetic pleading had fried through her very last nerve, Alyanda gave up. Though she had a feeling that the only reason Bobbin begged so hard was because he was afraid of what these men might ask in return for their services other then coin. So Bobbin had found a beggar of his own. He was young and handsome enough to be a servant but not strong enough to stick out in a crowed of aristocrats. And he was desperate.

Bobbin had promised the young man enough coin to pay off his debts and sustain his drinking habits for a month.

So, whose fault was it that Alyanda's plan fell through, when the beggar's head ended up splattered like a melon on a balcony?

For a moment Alyanda's face twisted in the light. Bobbin, who was still staring shamefaced at the floor, seemed to sense it. His hand instinctively rose to touch his Rose Jewel pendent. _Lot of good that would do you,_ thought Alyanda. Her pulse was beating like a drum in her head. She fought with every ounce of her being not to make the ground beneath her feet turn to ice. _I should never have taken you under my wing._ Bobbin's innate will for survival forced him to back up against a wall. He began to sweat profusely, his eyes bugging out of his head in fear.

What could he do? His Rose against her Opal would be a joke. And even if he could, he loved her, he would never hurt her. If he did he might lose her.

"Bobbin, would you please excuse yourself? A lady must have time alone to prepare for bed. You wouldn't want the servants talking about you staying in my room this late at night for less than pure reasons, would you?" Alyanda was straining to reign in her anger. The very sight of him angered her sometimes.

"No, no I wouldn't want that, Lady. And with that, Bobbin was gone in a flash as if the hounds of Hell were nipping at his heels. It was then that Alyanda let her rage lose with a freezing ferocity and indeed the very floor became coated in a thin sheet of ice.

"Better." she, exhaled.

"Now," she mused, "what am I to do about all this?" Alyanda rattled her brain. She knew some of Jennifer's plans for the coming month. The woman had been advertising herself for quite some time and had been invited to several prestigious events over the next several months. The would-be-Queen and her supposed Escort were scheduled for a visit to the fairgrounds in the next week. They were searching for a housekeeper. Alyanda thought it was absurd when she knew that they already had a hearth witch living with them, a strange one that preferred to cook and never clean. _Why not force the wench to clean?_

She could send one of her father's old lackeys to pose in and secure the job, become a spy and get the job done right this time. No, that wouldn't work. The men she knew were much too old, and much too rough around the edges to pass off as cleaners. There was always the option of an illusion, but she had to admit, she hadn't the strength to create that many illusions and have them last very long. The person couldn't be too strong either; a housekeeper with too dark a Jewel would be suspicious.

Oh, there had to be some way.

**Alyanda, Heart, where are you?** Queen Zhara's voice pleaded weakly in Alyanda's mind. She ceased her thoughts. The clock said it was nearly midnight. It was past the time she usually went to give her aunt her medicine.

The Queen of Amdarh had become ill as of late. No one outside of the court knew that the Queen was sick. In fact, Zhara had insisted that they carry on with the season's activities, including the party earlier in the evening. A fever racked her body so fiercely that it kept her in bed, rendering her to the most basic of movements,

When she first became ill it was Alyanda who had acquired a Healer. The best she could find, she said, "All the way from Little Terreille." The Healer came wearing long drapes of white that covered her face and body, revealing only her eyes. Her hands as well were covered by white gloves; the only defining features visible were her dark eyes and the Red Jewel earrings she wore. Certainly the best, her niece insisted.

The Healer examined Zhara's body and half an hour later, she gave Zhara a vile filled with a potion of some sort, a muddy-colored liquid. She instructed Zhara to continue taking the potion and with time, all would be well. With that, the Healer took her leave.

From that day on something strange occurred in Zhara. She did indeed continue to take the medicine, but she only allowed Alyanda into her chambers. Each night Alyanda visited her aunt and fed her the potion that would eventually cure her of this elusive disease. This had been going on for weeks, but so far no one could see much of a change in the Queen's condition. Still, only Alyanda was allowed any sort of audience.

Things were perfect.

Alyanda took to the cabinet beside her bed, taking from it the jug filled with the poison the Black Widow disguised as the Healer gave her. She poured some its contents into a vile. The poison was slow acting, usually harmless in small doses unless one continued to consume it over a long period of time. Then it was a slow and painfully feverish death. The kind of death when seen from a distance looked like any other common flu.

It was also laced with a suggestive spell. One that Alyanda used to persuade her aunt to trust her and no one else. No one had a chance to see Zhara up close, and any additional Healers were denied by Zhara herself on advisory of Alyanda. It was brilliant. The only thing that would have made it even better was if Alyanda had been able to make the poison herself, but she knew that poison wouldn't have been as effective against Zhara's Green Jewels as the Red Black widow.

_Why mutter over the details? _The important thing was that Zhara had forgotten all about giving away her throne to her new pet Queen. But that wasn't enough. The current Queen needed to die and to die slowly. Long enough for Alyanda to ruin that twit, Jennifer, and slow enough so that everyone would see it coming by the time the old bitch finally croaked. She made her way towards her aunt's chambers, holding a vile full to the brim with muddy liquid.

_These are delicate times, _thought Alyanda, _very delicate indeed._

Bobbin streaked form the room like lightening. Once Ally got like…like _that_, all icy and hot at the same time, it was time to split. He loved her but he also feared her, and with good reason. It was that fire that he didn't like, but he knew she could be kind when she wanted to be, when she wanted something. She had always been that way.

He was the son of a simple woman who could hardly be called a witch. She wore no Jewels until she reached her maturing age, and even then she only descended to the meager status of the White. She was born to a family of traveling players though she had no real talents of her own. Bobbin did think there were a few remarkable things about his mother: she was extremely beautiful, and lucky.

When his parents first met, his father fell for his mother's beauty and she for his handsome features and the chance to become something more than the daughter of a family of beggar, so to speak. It was a fast growing love and an extremely short engagement. Before long the Red Jeweled Warlord Prince married the player's daughter.

Then came their child who was born to the White and could barely master little more than basic Craft. No matter was the fact that his father was a powerful man, his son was destined for the Rose, the weaker shade of red. No, his father's blood had not made much of a dent at all it seemed, and even though Bobbin knew his father cared for him, disappointment was always looming overhead.

So he stayed close to his mother. She, of course, was grateful for the company. The color of his Jewels meant nothing to her. After all, she already had her Prince. She took him to the theater and parties, showered him with gifts and clothes, but he had always felt a distance from others. People scared him.

As hard as his mother tried to force the world upon him, he resisted. He could not make friends even when he tried. Others seemed to be naturally repelled by him. And so began the self-sheltered life he would build for himself.

Until he met Ally.

It was at a Winsol party nearly ten years ago when Queen Zhara's sister came to live with the court. Her husband, a Prince from Little Terreille, had been killed in the purge that struck the realms in a wave blacker than black. The Queen's sister wanted to be near family. When Bobbin first laid eyes on Alyanda, he fell for her in much the same way he imaged his father had fallen for his mother.

It was then that he began to follow her wherever she went. Watching her from afar, hoping he could climb into her bedroom window at night as he so often did in his dreams. He sought her companionship and she gave it, though as a lose gesture at first. Then he began to court her and she resisted with great force. For a long time she fought against him. Until one day, she gave in; the most kind and beautiful smile on her lips.

Yet here he was, cowering away from her, hidden safely in his chambers like a frightened mouse in his burrow. He didn't know why she was so intent on destroying this Lady, this Jennifer. All he could guess was that this woman had somehow hurt Ally in the past and whatever it was; she hurt Ally enough to want revenge at any cost.

It made his furious. Whatever it was it didn't matter. This new Queen had taken the smile from his lady's lips and he would do anything to return it.

"But how do I do it?" He sat on the edge of his bed, holding his head in his hands for quite some time before the idea struck him like lightening to a tree.

AN: I know that this one was shorter and it was all villains, and yeah, it's sort of a cliff hanger, but I promise there's more of Jennifer's Circle and original BJT character's coming. Please review.


	3. Undesired Help

Words in _italics _are regular thoughts

Words in **Bold** are conversations in Telepathy between people

Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the Black Jewel characters or universe ect., the Black Jewel universe ect… belongs to Anne Bishop

**AN: This is way late, yes, but it's finally here. There is a split of perspective a little bit into the story. This one moves things along a little bit more than the other chapters. **

Chapter 3

"You know I really don't understand why we're here." Vinear bit into the apple he'd stolen from the kitchen that morning as they hadn't had time to eat a real breakfast. Kass had overslept, a rarity in the house, so they let it pass. Besides, no one ever forced Kass to cook, she just did, and she would chase anyone from the kitchen who would try to do so in her place. That was part of the reason why Vinear didn't like the idea of enlisting the help of more servants. The other reason being that he just did not want more people crowding up the house. It wasn't a grand house, built for three it was, and they already had four people taking up the space. Darkness forbid should invite strangers into their home to take up even more breathing room.

"Oh, stop whining. You do more of that than anything else in your head. I told you we have the extra space now that Jess is moving out, and we really do need a cleaner since no one around the house wants to do it themselves." That was true. Jess was in the mist of completing her training as a Priestess and would be moving out to assume her new duties at an Altar near where they lived in Dhemlan. Jess did have the biggest quarters of the house, which Vinear always thought was absurd, but Jennifer insisted on it, reminding him how Jess was a solitary person.

"You're just grumpy because you didn't get any coffee this morning. Nasty stuff that is, I will never understand why you drink it." Vinear grunted at Jennifer and forced himself to walk on in spite of how much he wanted to go back home and sleep. If only he had wings he could have just taken off right then and there and Jennifer wouldn't have been able to do anything about it except stand there stagnant on the all too solid ground. For a moment he felt the curves of his back ache with a dull and familiar longing. He shook it off.

As they made hast across the fairgrounds towards the posts, Vinear felt the minds of the masses in his head. All those people were hoping for a new home, a new job to keep, some for a new life entirely. Their thoughts reminded him of his past. For every batch of traveling artisan and mercenary, there was a pair of squandering mother and child.

He dwelled in the pool of thoughts as he so often did out of habit, something he did to pass the time, though he rarely heard anything of interest to him. He swam through the vast sea until he brushed against a consciousness that felt so…strange…so hot, that it made him recoil back into himself. Feeling suddenly weak he leaned against a post for support. His legs shook from under him,

"Perhaps we should have had Kass fix something up anyway. Sit down for a moment, take a breather." Vinear didn't protest and sat in the grass, trying to reign in control of his limbs. _Mother Night, what was that?_ Taking a deep breath after a few moments he made the effort to stand up and succeeded with only the slightest of wobbling. "I just asked Kass to make us some nutcakes when we get back to the house. You've reminded me of how hungry I am myself. He nodded, not really hearing her.

"Jeremy and Chelsi are around here somewhere." He had felt their minds approaching for the past few minutes. "I suppose they choose to follow our example and are looking for some hired help." Jennifer smiled.

"Yes, it's about time Chelsi got an assistant to help her with her work. Darkness knows they could use some help around the house as well." They made their way onward. Neither of them was exactly sure what was usually done on the fairground. To Vinear it felt odd, even somewhat wrong to walk around shopping for servants like horses. From the drag in Jennifer's mind he could tell she felt the same. He shuffled on the balls of his feet, not sure of how to proceed. "Oh this is ridiculous! Come on, let's get this over with." She made a move, meaning to drag him along with her against the drift. Not wanting a reoccurrence of last night, he reacted without thought and backed up into something hard and landed down in the dirt. _I spend more time falling on my ass than I do standing on my own two feet!_

"Why is it that every time we meet you and I end up bumping into each other? Is there some invisible force that compels us to collide when we are within walking distance of each other?" A voice from behind him laughed. He felt the compulsion to run. His instincts screamed at him to flee from that voice. _What in the name of Hell would_ he _be doing here?_ He felt a smirk spread across Jen's consciousness as she greeted Palavar.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He'd been stalking the fairgrounds for over an hour. No luck in finding this Queen. His face was beginning to itch from the spells Ally had cast on his appearance. They were small changes to his looks. His eyes were darker and the shape of his face had been altered in a guise. It had taken him all of the better part of a week to convince Ally to let him go to the fairgrounds. He was the perfect choice, he had said. After all, he hardly left the estate in Amdarh. No one outside of the capital city would recognize him. He wouldn't be missed around the house and he wasn't important enough for his absents to be noted, at least not at first. But Ally had assured him that it wouldn't be a long term arrangement. Ally said that Jennifer was a blonde, black widow Queen. Beyond that she didn't know much else. _How hard could it be to spot a black widow Queen?_ He asked himself that question for the eighth time that morning and came to the conclusion that it was very difficult indeed, like looking for a diamond in a heap of coal.

_Hells fire! I can't let Ally down again._

A man with a long face and fair hair walked up to him, and surveyed him for a moment before asking:

"Do you know how to handle paperwork, are you a copyist?" Bobbin blinked, becoming deaf and dumb for several seconds. "Well? You are Boa Budler, are you not?"

"Y-yes," he meant only to respond as to not agitate the man any further, leas he become aquatinted with the Sapphire he saw catching the sunlight on the stranger's ring finger.

"Good. The councilman told me to look for a man of your description. Said your papers stated you were good with house work and organizing." Bobbin took in a sharp breathe. Damn those false documents. He had forged papers to make up his new identity as a Terreille refugee. In an effort to attract the Queen he had sprinkled those papers with every talent he thought she would find appealing. He had never thought that someone else would get to him first before he could get to her. _Mother Night! How do I get out of this? _He could refuse anyone, yes; he didn't have to work for this man. The fair wasn't a slave trade. He could refuse anyone's advances. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"Now, the work you would be doing. My lady needs an assistant to help her with her work. See, she's an artist of sorts, with books and pictures…" He was being pulled along towards the clerk who would sign him into this babbling man's service. His mind a boggle, Bobbin saw no other way out of this wedge but to cry for help. He very nearly screamed out to Ally on a thread.

**What has gone wrong now, Bobbin? I swear, if you have found a way to fuck this one up I will break you of your Jewels! **Bobbin's consciousness gave a mental quiver at the threat. He had little doubt she would make do on that threat. He shared with her the morning's turn of events as fast as only can only be done through a connection between minds. The man was no longer talking but kept a firm grip on Bobbin's shoulder as they waited in line at the clerk's table. Ally was silent. Then he felt her creep back into his mind. **It seems that you have found your way into the hands of Warlord Prince Jeremy Wilut. He has been hand fasted to Chelsi Marenan, one of Lady Jennifer's close friends. ** A mental sigh was released. **It may not have worked out right, but sign with the man. We may learn something of use from those two and you might be able to see the Queen. Darkness knows how much backstabbing is had behind closed doors.**

With another sigh she left his mind, allowing him to let out a breath of his own. He had messed up, but he hadn't failed her completely. There was hope after all and he clang to that hope as he signed his false signature and gave his services over to the Warlord Prince. It wasn't until they were in a carriage on a Sapphire wind did he realize that Ally had never told him how she planned to get him out of the two year service contract he had just signed himself into.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Here, let me help you up." Vinear protested in his most annoyed voice but his rejection went unnoted and he was being hoisted up off of the ground and onto his feet by a pair of strong hands. "I would imagine that's a much better perspective," said Palavar. Vinear glared at the man, though Palavar didn't seem to take offence.

"Hello, I remember seeing you at Lady Zhara's party last week, though we were never formally introduced," said Jennifer, stepping out from her spot behind Vinear. Palavar offered his hand and smiled at her. It was an honest smile, Jennifer could tell. It was different from the plastered on smiles of the aristocrats she had come to know over the past year.

"Pleasure, Lady Jennifer. Vinear spoke of you when we last met. I am Palavar Ralisane."

**You were talking about me?** Jen queried, letting the thought flutter out, knowing Vinear would hear it if he was listening.

**You know I wasn't. I barely mentioned you. He's just trying to kiss ass when he should be scurrying out of here. He better not be flirting with you either. **How many young men had he seen try to attach themselves to Jennifer since she had made herself known in Kaeleer?

**You think he's trying to court **_**me**_**? Why do you dislike him so much? You couldn't have hit the ground that hard. To be fair you weren't paying much attention to what you were doing anyway.**

Truth be told, he didn't know why he disliked this man to the extent that he did when they had only met now twice and on short occasions. Perhaps it was the way his nerves screamed at him to run like a startled deer every time he came within arm's length of Palavar. The panic seemed to be an effect of Palavar's psychic vibe, though Jennifer seemed unaffected altogether. Still his senses as a male, as a Warlord Prince, said to run as fast as he could. It was clear that Palavar was himself, a Warlord Prince, of what Jewel Vinear didn't know. But this was nothing like the feeling of challenge that came when a male met an unfamiliar male. The instinct to charge became one to scream _away, away!_

"Vinear do you think it's a good idea?" asked Jennifer. She looked at him like it didn't matter what he thought, and whatever this ideas was she was going to do it anyway.

"What's a good idea?" He was confused and a little frightened. He never liked Jennifer's ideas. Mostly all mischief they were.

"Did you zone out again? Do us all a favor and stay in this realm for a little while, will you? Prince Ralisane and his sister need a place to stay and I offered them to work for the house in exchange for living arrangements." She stated this like she thought the idea was perfectly logical and it wouldn't drive him completely mad.

"What do you mean he needs a place to stay? Anyone who has the money to attend an aristo party in Amdarh wouldn't be out of house and home the next week."

"Let me explain," interjected Palavar.

**For the second time? Vinear it's very rude to make him repeat himself. **Jennifer sent the thought to him on a Sapphire line so he'd be sure to hear it.

**Shush! I want to hear it from him so I'm sure you haven't left out any unattractive details. **She was quiet after that, which worried Vinear a bit. No doubt he would get an earful later.

"You see, I'm not originally from Kaeleer. I came here almost three years ago. Last week was the end of my required service time. I was at the party as an escort for my former lady."

**That still doesn't explain-**

**Now you shush!**

"Why didn't you just stay in the house of your former mistress?" Vinear ignored Jennifer's following snarl. Palavar looked Vinear straight in the eyes, his expression seemed to weaver between pleading and demanding. Vinear was once again struck with the instinct to flee, but a weakness in his legs prevented him from moving. As if satisfied with the effect of his stare on Vinear, Palavar continued.

"My sister has just arrived from Terreille. We couldn't afford to send both of us here to Kaeleer at the same time. So I came on my own and worked up enough money to send for her. As for my former lady, I petitioned her for my sister to work in her service, but the lady doesn't feel inclined to take any female servants as of late." _Meaning she didn't want any competition for your attention, _thought Vinear. He heard Jennifer make an annoyed sound by his side, no doubt she had been listening. "I would rather lose the ability to fly than abandon my sister. Unfortunately, sending for my sister has left my resources rather…limited, and I don't have any stable place to stay right now." _She didn't pay him much either._

"So you intend to find her work and offer your services as well so you can look after her." Palavar nodded, though it wasn't a question.

"She is…venerable. I believe many people would seek to use her to their advantage. I wouldn't ask for much and I would leave as soon as I have enough to find a place of my own" Vinear felt the spiteful weight of pity settle on his chest.

**What do you think is so special about his sister? **Vinear asked Jennifer.

**I don't know. Can't you just search for it in his mind? **He had actually never thought of it, but now that he did he recoiled.

**I'm not sure I want to. I'm feeling pretty weak from whatever that was early. You can't tell me you didn't feel it yourself.** Jennifer didn't reply. Instead she spoke to Palavar.

"Where is your sister, Prince Ralisane?" she asked. Palavar relaxed his stature which had been hunched over in nervous anticipation. He smiled and then seemed to stare out into open space for a minute. He was obviously having a conversation over the threads.

"Here she comes," he said. He then turned around and waved into the crowd that had been forming around the clerk's desk for the better part of their conversation. Out of the crowd came a young woman. She was what many men would consider beautifully thin, the fact of which was accented by the perfect fitting of her cyan colored dress. The locks of her hair, a shade of brown to Palavar's black, seemed to block her line of sight. Neither of these things caught Vinear's or Jennifer's attention. It was her lack of wings and the fairness of her skin along with the color of her eyes that made them both do a double take between the supposed brother and sister.

**She's his half sister**. **We shouldn't be surprised**. **This explains why his skin isn't of the normal shade.**

**I hadn't really noticed, silly me. If they came from Terreille then they must be from one of the short lived races. Chaillot, possibly, **said Jennifer.

"This is my sister, Brittani," Palavar introduced all of them formally and then Brittani motioned a curtsey to Jennifer.

"Honor to meet you, Sister," she said, smiling another genuine smile. Jennifer instantly liked her.

"No need for formalities, really." said Jennifer. "We're a lot more flexible here in Kaeleer. A greeting in a handshake is the usual." Brittani relaxed considerably, and held out her hand in greeting. Jennifer took it and from the moment skin touched skin she knew why Palavar thought Brittani would be so venerable on her own. In short hand, Blood sang to Blood and Jennifer knew that Brittani was a Queen, young and without a court, just like her. Vinear felt it through Jennifer's mind and took the opportunity to feel out the other Queen's strength.

**She's a Blood Opal, born Summer sky. No threat to you. **Jennifer ignored him. He shrugged and then remembered he still didn't know what Jewels Palavar wore. He considered for the second time, searching his mind. Then he saw it. It had been right there in front of him the entire time, a Red Jewel pendent catching the sun. _Not a surprise. _

"It's so nice to meet another Queen," said Brittani. "There aren't many of us left in Terreille."

"Yeah, Kaeleer has plenty to spare. Beautiful dress you have on, well, the color anyway I'm rather fond of blue." Brittani looked down at her long dress and then enviously eyed Jennifer's leggings and comfortable shoes.

"Do you know where I can find a tailor to make some leggings for me? Don't get me wrong, I love to dress up, but I would rather be wearing something more comfortable. I'm only dressed up like this because _someone_ said I should look my best to impress a suitable host." She eyed Palavar whose mouth twitch at the corners. This made Vinear shiver for some odd reason._ I really have to get home and rest,_ he thought.

"Well, while we're on the subject of a host. I have to ask you. Are you against doing house work?" Brittani didn't seem bothered by the idea of working as a servant. For a Queen that quality was rare.

"No problem there. In Terreille I lived with my grandparents and did most of the cleaning and such in the house." The two continued to talk while the men simply waited, knowing their place in the current situation. Vinear sat once again on the ground. Palavar watched him Vinear glared back at him and appeared to be absentmindedly clutching his jaw in agitation. Finally, when all the negotiating was done-with no wanted input from either Palavar or Vinear- they went through the paperwork with the clerk and piled into a carriage on the Ebon-gray wind. Palavar's sister was ecstatic to have found a place to stay and Palavar was happy for her, and obviously glad that he would be able to stay with her.

"We'll have to find something for your brother to do while he stays with us," said Jennifer to Brittani.

"I'll be sure to earn my keep, Lady. I am forever grateful for what you've done for my sister, for both of us. He meant it and the words came off warm in the air. Then Jennifer noticed something odd. It was quiet. No thoughts from Vinear. He was sitting off into a corner, his head against the wall of the carriage, seemingly asleep.

"Vinear, what's wrong?" she said it softly; not really wanting to wake him if sleeping was all he was doing. It was rare that any of the long lived races became ill. Vinear opened his eyes and looked at her with feverish eyes one moment, and then as if he had been caught in some act, straightened himself up, looked her in the eyes, and through clenched teeth said, "I'm fine, just tired. You know we did a lot today, a lot I'm not happy with, you know," perfectly grumpy, as usual. Still, Jennifer watched him. So did Palavar whom at one point took a handkerchief from his pocket and soaked it with cool water from a canteen. He gave it Vinear and whispered to him.

"To cool your fever." Vinear took it without saying a word; he wasn't in any state to feel anything toward the Warlord Prince just then.

When they reached the house He offered to help carry the sparse amount of luggage that they had brought with them. Palavar refused and told him to go tend to himself. Vinear resisted the urge to spit in the Eyrien's face.

"Go on inside,Vinear. Get some rest and I'll ask Kass to make you a meal in a bit. Promise me you'll let me know if you think you need a Healer. He promised her and then motioned to enter the main apartments of the house. "Vinear," she called after him. He turned back, "Don't worry about anything. I'm sure you Palavar will get along eventually. His sister's not bad either. Another Queen and Warlord Prince could make fine editions to a First Circle," He nodded and left her to show the new arrivals their new quarters. Jess had in fact already moved out all of her belongings.

Vinear made careful to avoid the kitchen. He did not want to attract attention from Kass. He crept up the stairs to his rooms, Graylocked the door, and soundproofed the room. It had been a trial to hide the fever from Jennifer, though he knew that she was still worried about him. His jaw ached and nearly bit down on his tongue to prevent himself from screaming out in agony. The world around him felt hot and his eyes wear red from the heat. For some reason the poison was building up rapidly and the effects were already attacking his system. He called in his box and took out a dish and the bottle containing his preferred brand of venom. He finally unclenched his jaw and then the pain hit him with no mercy and he screamed one sharp, loud cry. The pain crept up the entire left side of his upper jaw.

He opened his mouth wide and then, with is finger, applied pressure to his gums to release the source of his pain. The fang that was his version of a black widow's snake tooth protruded from its hiding place in the gap between his teeth on the left side of his jaw. Keeping his mouth open he gently squeezed the fang and removed the congealed venom from it onto the dish. With the pain and pressure gone he felt a sense of relief. He took the bottle containing the fresh poison and drank from it at a steady pace. When he had disposed of the bad poison and vanished the box he settled down for a long nap.

**AN: okay, before I get a bunch of emails about the snake tooth being in Vinear's mouth, let me say this: There is a reason why it's in his mouth and not his finger but I won't say what yet. Original characters are coming soon. Please read and review. **


	4. A Miserable Morning

Words in _italics _are regular thoughts

Words in **Bold** are conversations in Telepathy between people

Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the Black Jewel characters or universe ect., the Black Jewel universe ect… belongs to Anne Bishop

**AN: I haven't updated in a very long time but I promise the story isn't dead! I've been very off centered lately and unfortunately this story paid the price. This is a very short chapter. I wanted to get something up as soon as possible.**

Chapter 4

_Why does my face feel fuzzy?_

**Prince, wake up! Prince won't wake up.** He swatted the Prince's face with his paw again. **Prince, wake up, play! **

_What…?_ Vinear heard the playful purr of the house cat and its weight on his back, its small gray paw placed on the back of his head. There was no other choice; he had to wake up now. _Thanks a lot, kid._

"Nine, get off me." Nine responded with more purring, pleading for Vinear's attention, wanting to play.** Cat, you know I'm not a morning person yet you insist on waking me each morning! **

**Sun's up. Play now? **Nine was still only a kitten and could only respond in the bits of broken speech he'd learned from the humans. This wasn't much of a surprise considering he was the only domestic cat kindred anyone knew of. Little more than a year ago, a she-cat in labor had found her way underneath the crawl space of the house. She had most likely been ill and unsound of mind. Whatever the case, Kass had been the one to find the mother and her litter. None survived, except one, the last of nine.

However, as the kindred were known to develop attachments to certain humans, Nine had all but glued himself to Vinear. _Why did he have to develop a shine to me, though?_ Nine sat in the bathroom doorway, waiting patiently while Vinear took his shower. Vinear shook the water from his hair. Nine ran from the resulting assault of water as cats were known to do. Vinear teasingly chased after the gray kitten, who had taken refuge under the covers of Vinear's bed.

Lifting the covers, Vinear gathered the kitten in his arms and smothered the youngling. Raising the kitten above his head, Vinear smiled at the now wet and bewildered cat.

**Now you know how**_** I**_** feel** **in the morning. **Nine sent no verbal reply, only the edge of a wave of animal annoyance. Vinear held him close and gave the cat a quick kiss on its forehead. **Don't tell anyone I like you. We'll play later. I promise. **

Vinear quickly dressed. _Scott will kill me if I'm late. Where are my damn shoes?_ His shoes came, flying at him from under the bed, propelled by an invisible force. Vinear smiled at his fuzzy companion.

"Thank you." He grabbed them and put them on. He would have to find out what Jewel Nine would wear as his birthright, if any. No one in the house knew how the kindred came to possess their Jewel's, but they would have to find out soon. Vinear felt that the kitten had much potential.

He ran down the stairs and outside towards the back. He cringed when he saw that even Kass wasn't in the house. _I really am late!_ When he arrived outside Chelsi was already sparing with Scoltvar and Jen looked long winded.

"Why didn't you wake me?" He spoke in a whisper. He didn't want to draw attention to himself.

"I decided this would be more fun. You should know me better by now, Vi." Of course she would think watching him squirm would be fun. He shot Jen a mean look and took his spot among the members of the house.

A few times a week their circle would gather in the morning before breakfast for a training session with Scoltvar. This included Chelsi, whom while she lived with Jeremy, spent most of her free time at the house of…well they didn't have a name for the house, or their supposed court…_yet. _

**How about the Semi-Dark Court?** said Jen on a Sapphire thread. Leaving his mental barriers down for her had really become like second nature that he was hardly aware he was doing it.

**Ha-ha. I think we would piss off more than a few people with that name. The kind of people it would be very, very wise not to piss off.**

Vinear sat back and watched Chelsi and Scott's exchange. Scott said that you could tell a lot about a person from the way they handled themselves in a fight. Watching now, Vinear saw that Chelsi could be an even match for Scott. Neither of them was holding back and there was a look of intensity in her eyes that only appeared when she was fighting with the sticks. Scott taught them fighting Eyrien style, and it was Chelsi out of all of them who had shown the most talent. 'The taste for the fight,' as Scoltvar had put it.

Vinear tried hard to make himself invisible and even thought once or twice about placing a Grayshield around himself, though he didn't know if he could make one skin tight that would feel in anyway comfortable. _I can't hide all day. For one thing, eating would be difficult and other things as well. _He faltered in stance when Scott and Chelsi were done with their round. _Just get it over with. He can't rip into me too hard for being late._ Vinear wasn't the best fighter, but he wore the darker Jewel and his Craft skills were more than a match for Scott's. _That's what I'll have to keep telling myself until this embarrassment is over._

Scott liked to test out each of their skills in a one on one with the sticks at the beginning of the session. He had enough stamina to go five rounds in a row and barely break a sweat. Jen thought this was a talent worth admiration, which was why she had requested that he teach the rest of them how to hold up in a fight. "A few of us could use the help with getting into shape," she had said. Vinear felt like growling at the Queen.

"Well, look who decided to get his ass out of bed this morning!" Vinear's stomach nearly dropped down to the ground. It would sound foolish for a Gray Jeweled Warlord Prince to be frightened of a Red one, one who didn't have the extra advantage of stealth telepathy. The truth was that even though Vinear could hear Scoltvar's thought, he couldn't act on them fast enough. Scott had the sort of mind that was always "moving," so to speak. Decisions were made and acted upon quick and hard, especially in the heat of a fight. As it often was, Vinear would end up bruised physically and in ego.

"Come on now. I've got a lesson to teach, and apparently that includes busting your head open on the ground this morning."

Scott was also a well seasoned heckler.

Just as he was about to set into position for what would possibly be the worst early morning of his life, Palavar walked out from the apartment he now shared with his sister. He was dressed in a plain shirt and leggings, the most casual clothes that anyone in the house had ever seen him in. Before, he had been dressed in more impressive attire, and Vinear knew that it must have been very uncomfortable for the Eyrien to wear clothes as binding as the ones Palavar had been on previous occasions.

As if Palavar meant to give an example of this fact, his wings stretched out full length and the almost-black webbings caught a light wind. From the look on his face Palavar was quite comfortable in his new environment. His dark hair was uncombed but he looked fresh and ready for the day. Then he got up and started walking toward them. And Jen spoke.

"I've got a better idea." Vinear heard her thought. He wanted to howl at her. "Pal was telling me yesterday about his training experiences in Terreille. Why don't you and our new resident have a match?" She smiled a devilish smiled and said to Scott, "Vinear can pay his penance, and you can evaluate Palavar's skills. See if the Eyriens in Terreille have been teaching anything new in their camps since you left."

Palavar, who was now very alert, looked between Jen and Scoltvar and then settled on Vinear who shivered.

**If you weren't my Queen I'd be on the killing edge right now, **said Vinear to Jennifer. She didn't respond. After giving the prospect a moment's thought, Scoltvar gave Jen a quick smile and nodded.

"I like the way you think, Lady. Alright, you two gear up." It was clear he didn't think Palavar would object to the idea of a fight before breakfast. _Of course not, they're both real Eyriens, _thought Vinear, and he felt the old bitterness creeping up again.

When they were all set Vinear checked Palavar's face for any signs of resistance. What did he think about having to fight the _deformed _Eyrien? Not surprisingly, he looked up for the challenge, as if he thought Vinear might actually be able to hold up his own in a fight. Vinear softened a little from the unearned and certainly undeserved respect that Palavar was giving him._ May the Darkness have mercy. _

It was over quite quick. Palavar moved even faster than Scoltvar. He was also much rougher. Vinear could tell that he was holding back, considerably. He didn't dare try and infiltrate Palavar's mind. There was risk of getting weak again, or whatever strange effects Palavar's mind had on him. Try as he might, Vinear couldn't get a shot in and at the end of it all he was on the ground panting, a stick pinning him down like the point of a blade. He couldn't remember exactly how he'd gotten that way either.

He felt tired, hungry, and pissed off. They had managed to make him look like a fool, and Jen, his Queen his friend had had a crucial hand it.

"That's some dirty fighting there, Prince. It's almost shameful…and very effective. Something they would never teach at an Eyrien training camp. Where did you say you learned how to fight?" Scoltvar was talking but Vinear couldn't really hear it, couldn't care less about what he was saying. Vinear got up somberly. Hot anger was beginning to boil beneath the surface. He turned to walk away, back into the house.

Jen was frowning. She was the only one paying any real attention to Vinear. Chelsi and Scoltvar were counseling Palavar about his fighting style and Kass had seen the turn of events as an opportunity to go back inside to the kitchen and make breakfast. Jen watched Vinear trying to sneak away and trailed behind him.

"Hold on, Vi." She was right behind him now. He didn't say a word. The anger was practically begging him to lash it out on someone, on anything. Jen reached out to grab his arm and when she touched him his skin prickled and the wave of hot psychic energy stung her. She recoiled and let out a strange sounding yep of surprise. Vinear froze. _Mother Night_. He hadn't to meant hurt her. Then again…He started to walk again.

"Vinear, you're acting like a child." Any other witch, even a Queen, would have known not to mess with an angry Warlord Prince. But then Jennifer wasn't just any other witch.

"You go too far sometimes, Jen." He was trying to get himself under control. The effort made him clench his teeth and he wondered if he would have to replenish the poison of his fang again so soon.

"If you would just listen to me you would understand that I was trying to help you."

"Help me? Making me late and having me beaten by that jackass, that's your idea of help?

Ever since they had met it had become a long standing tradition that from time to time, Jennifer would make his life a little difficult. Things like small pranks, funny yet sometimes harsh jokes. It was, as Vinear had come to understand, Jen's way of showing affection to her friends. He'd always been her most easy target. But this time she had gone too far, and too early in the morning. With that last part in mind, Vinear fell silent and stalked off, choosing to ignore Jennifer completely.

"Mother Night. If I didn't know you were so damn blind to your own self I would swear you were intentionally trying to ruin any chance of happiness in your life!"

Inside the house Vinear meant to return to bed. There were no appointments to meet today and he wasn't in any mood to set pen to paper. Kass stopped him on his way past the kitchen and passed a plate of food into his hands.

"Eat. If not down here then take it to your rooms," she said as if he would refuse. He said his thanks and retreated to his room. It was empty and the bed was unmade, just as he had left it. Nine was nowhere to be seen. _All for the best,_ thought Vinear. He didn't want to deal with anyone for the rest of the day.

He ate, showered again, and changed his cloths. Crawling into bed he couldn't get rid the feeling that what Jen had said was right. He was acting like a child. He supposed as one of the long lived races he still had a lot of growing up to do. Besides, the look on Palavar's face when Vinear had glared up at him from the grass, those eyes, just for a moment, had shifted from gold to an unnatural smoldering red.

A sudden chill ran up Vinear's back for reasons unknown even to himself.

**AN: More is coming. I was originally going to drag this chapter out a bit more, but this seemed like a perfect place to leave you hanging. Thing are going to start heating up around the house soon. P.S.: Little Nine is dedicated to my kitty-cat, Mordred "99" Deschain xD**


	5. Uraveling Troubles

Words in _italics _are regular thoughts

Words in **Bold** are conversations in Telepathy between people

Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the Black Jewel characters or universe ect., the Black Jewel universe ect… belongs to Anne Bishop

**AN: Couldn't get a hold of my beta. I apologize for errors (as I'm sure there are plenty), I proof read as best as I could. Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

_For a long time I didn't want to be me. Everywhere I went I _saw_ magic. My whole world was a tangle of webs and lights and shadows in the Darkness. My fingers itched to touch and untangle the knots. They teased me; dancing before my eyes in twisting patterns to the point that I feared I might go blind! It was lovely, beautiful, and it was terrifying. I am a Black Widow. But that's only half the truth. _

_****************************************************************_

She searched for Tersa all morning and there was still no sign of the Black Widow. _Come on, Auntie Tersa. Where could you be?_ Jennifer caught the shadow of the sun over the fields with her eyes. It was 2nd Day, close to noon and she'd made it a point to sneak out of the house early that morning to meet Tersa here. _At least she's always here when I find her. _

There was a flicker of movement up the hill in the corner of her eye. "There you are," she said. Glancing up the side of the hill, its scale straining her neck, she sighed. "You _would _make this hard for me, dear. Thank the Darkness I had the foresight to wear boots this morning." She hiked up the hill intent after her target. Once at the top she spotted the elder Black Widow plopped down on the grass, weaving together blades of grass in her hands.

It always tore at Jennifer's heart to see Tersa in her twisted state, though she knew that underneath the supposed madness was a witch of formidable power.

"Hello, Tersa. How are you this morning?" Tersa looked up at her from her spot on the grass. Her eyes were bright yet Jen could see the wandering in them, the brokenness. It made her flinch. She had seen brokenness before in many forms on many faces and each time it reminded her of how close she came to bearing it herself. _Everything has a price. _

"He's not doing a very good job," said Tersa looking up at Jennifer, her eyebrows furrowed in an expression of annoyance. "Not at all. He's got me all wrong, Sister. Yes he has."

"Who is he, Tersa? Who has done you wrong?" The woman stared at Jennifer as if she was the one who was babbling to herself. Still twisting the blades of grass in her hands, in a rare moment of absolute clarity, she turned and faced Jennifer as if she was going answer. Then she shook her self as if the idea was foolish. _Apparently, I wouldn't understand. _"Enough of this." She hated to rush in to things but she needed to speak with Tersa now, in full clarity

"Would you like to help me with a spell today?" said Jennifer, She held out her hands to her elder in gentle offering. Seeming to sense the moment like she always did, Tersa took them and both witches settled on the grass.

"Is it a web that we will spin?" asked Tersa. Her eyes were closed; a perfect automatic repose to this position._ Some things, you never forget. _Jennifer remembered that was one of Tersa's phrases.

"Not exactly," replied Jen. No matter how many times they had done this in the past, Tersa never remembered this part of their meetings. Jennifer dove into her magic, taking Tersa with her against her mental resistance and in doing so she unlocked a part of herself that she worked hard to keep hidden. This part, this power that came from her soothed Tersa with its familiar caress and all resistance was gone while Jen zigzagged deeper towards the Ebon gray that was _her _Ebon-gray, for no other could claim to be the same. She dived into a path of the darkness that few had ever ventured by choice and even fewer had returned.

Down this path many had gone lost and confused for centuries upon centuries but to her this path was clear. Perfectly defined and every turn lit up in bright lights never seen in the Darkness. All tangled knots and webs and twisted road came undone in her wake and the road became straight with her stride.

Tersa was no longer with her but she knew where to find her because she felt her everywhere. This place was just as much Tersa's domain as it was hers at the moment. She followed the yarn down the gravel road that had once been a rocky path until she had reached it and saw what she had been searching for. Tersa was dancing. Caught in a storm of magic and madness, Jennifer watched her and thought not for the first time that Tersa had become too accustomed to this place. Jen reasoned that Tersa's world only looked so tame from where she was standing. "Tersa," she whispered across the winding void.

Jen felt the power of her Ebon gray washed over the madness of the place and the bellowing winds the storm that surrounded the Black Widow began to lessen. She could see the threads entwining Tersa to place. While the storm kept Tersa confused, it was these threads, perhaps created by Tersa herself that kept her eternally bound to this madness.

They shined in the now calm void and through their tantalizing knots Jen saw Tersa's cupped hands holding the many shattered pieces of her chalice, her very mind and soul. Jen became excited. Working with her abilities was a rare experience.

She could never get the knots completely undone, not even with Tersa guiding her through the tangled threads. Those threads were Tersa's bindings as a witch that had been long lost to the Twisted Kingdom, and once let loose of enough of them, she could be freed. Her chalice would heal its self as Tersa had been made powerful by the madness; this was something only she could do. If Jen could get just enough undone, Tersa could rise.

Guided by Tersa's heart, Jen began undoing the knots in haste and when enough were undone to permit Tersa to rise they began to ascend out of the shadows of the Twisted Kingdom and out of the Darkness into flesh and bone. Jen opened her eyes and saw Tersa staring back at her, fully lucid and knowing, and she smiled. Feeling the muscles of her physical self again, Jen winced in pain as she moved her neck from side to side. Her legs were stiff and she felt certain that they had been sitting on the grass perfectly still for at least three hours.

"Three hours is an improvement for you, my dear," said Tersa. She had gotten up to stretch her legs. Tersa took note to look at her surrounds as if it were the first time she was seeing the world. She closed her eyes and listened to the birds and the sound of the wind against the trees and to breathe in the fresh air. She relished the time she was appeal to spend fully aware of the real world around her, fully aware of herself. As always, Jen watched her and wished there was only a way she could…

"Aye, maybe someday, though my life's experiences tell me to doubt. But first things first, close your inner barriers! You've gotten much too comfortable having your mind open for that Prince. Even I of the Red can hear you without much effort." Jen thought she was exaggerating. Being in the Twisted Kingdom for so long had had an extraordinary effect on Tersa's strength. Jewel status meant little to her when she was in a lucid state and could wield it.

Jen strengthened the walls surrounding her minds to the point of a steel fort.

"There, now no one can get in." _Not even Vinear,_ she thought to herself. "I'm very glad to see you, Tersa." She felt the urge to huge the woman. Seeing her freed of all the threads made it hard to let her go each time. But she knew that it would only take away from Tersa's dignity, however much of it she had left after centuries of being broken and lost.

"It's always nice to see you, Jennifer, to see the world again. Our lessons give me a something to look forward to in that place. My son doesn't visit as often as I would like. Who could blame him? He's a busy man now." Of course Tersa would want news about her son. That should been the first thing out of Jennifer's mouth. As if seeing the thought in Jennifer's mind, Tersa brightened, and then shock her head. "No. First, you ask me your questions and when the lesson's over you can tell me how my son is doing." Jen smiled in thanks, knowing what Tersa was do was great sacrifice, less they run out of time. And they became teacher and pupil in of an instant.

"I need to know about extracting memories and sound from walls." This is something that nearly every Black Widow learns in her training, but what Jen was asking was how to _unravel_ such a spell. Any Black Widow with enough strength and time could undo a spell or tangled web. Usually by either learning how the original Black Widow had created it and finding a weak point, or by using another spell entirely to cancel out the first one.

Both of these techniques took time and patience and skill. Jennifer had the patience and certainly the skill, but clients wanted a quick job and _their _patience was running thin. To get this job done she would have to use her special talents.

They spent the afternoon on the subject. Tersa was a good teacher. She had learned many things from the madness of the Twisted Kingdom. Things she couldn't quite practice herself but knew as a master would. She was the only one who could teach Jennifer how wield her powers. Finding Tersa had been one of the lights in Jennifer's youth at a time when she had felt lost and afraid of her gifts.

When they were done with the day's lesson, Jen told Tersa of any news she had of her son, Prince Sadi, the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan. There was little she had to offer and she felt guilty because of it. Jennifer had never met the Prince but she knew what Tersa had told her about him. She told her memories of his childhood and some of the ones from more recent days that she could separate from the dream world that was her everyday life. It was these memories that told Jennifer to steer clear of Prince Sadi and his wife if she could help it. Some of the rumors were trash, some were terrifyingly absolutely true.

The Sun was low in the sky and Jen could already see it in Tersa's eyes. The untying of the knots only lasted for so long. She would go back to the Twisted Kingdom again. The threads that bound her would grow anew and the chalice would shatter in her hands again. Tersa had been lost for so long that she seemed forever trapped to that place. No matter how many times Jennifer brought her out, the threads always pulled her back down at the end of the day.

"Do you need help getting back?" Jen asked, examining the witch's face, and she wondered why Tersa didn't hate her for doing this to her, pulling her out only to be snagged back in hours later. It must be a kind of torture to be continuously ripped in and out of grasp with reality.

Her mind already showing signs of wandering, Tersa took a moment to respond and looked up with a face a twin to the one she given Jennifer this morning: of absolute clarity from deep within a dark place.

"No, I'll be fine. We wouldn't want the traveling girl asking who you are, now would we? Besides, there are things you never forget. Even in madness I know my way home." Those last words she spoke in a near whisper. She left then, without saying good bye. So it was so sudden, that Jen was left staring after her with a worried knot in her stomach, one she could not untangle.

_One day, Tersa I _will _get you out of that damn place for good. I Promise. _With that though, Jen set on the Ebon gray towards home.

*****************************************************************************

_This room is a hog's sty! _Brittani was not quite a hearth witch but she cringed at the chaotic state of the room before her. Clothes and dishes with leftovers from food lay sown across the floor and desk. The bookcase was coated in a thin film of dust. The worst sight of all lay in the center of the room under a layer of covers giving off the defined musk of unwashed male. _He's been hiding up in this room for three days and he hasn't bothered to bath._

She was sure he was alive. She saw the covers rise and fall with his breathing and he gave off a psychic pulse when she felt for it. Plus he may have smelt bad but he didn't smell like the dead. She'd been around enough of the dead to know the difference. The air was permeated with a dark atmosphere of depression. She could simply leave him be. The darkness of his magic was imprinted all over the room and Queen or not, it kept her own edge. _Do my job and clean this…chaos…or do I help him?_

"I don't need any help from you, Queen!" The sudden sound of his voice made her jump with a start and let out a half stifled yip. She cupped her hands together over her mouth in embarrassment of her girlish shriek, dropping the basket of fresh linens on the trash covered floor. She bent over to pick them up quickly, less they stain from the many astrosities on the floor.

"Get out, you!" the Prince's voice was horse. He sounded like he'd been…Brittani's face fell into a frown. For a Warlord Prince this was bad. They hated to show weakness, especially the Eyriens.

Palavar had never gone as far as to barricade himself away, but he would disappear for a few hours or a few days. He was the only Warlord Prince she knew who took such holidays to sort out his emotions. Now she was finding out it was a lot more common than she had previously thought.

A Warlord Prince needed a Queen to help him when he was in pain, she knew that. But there were no other Queen's in the house. Lady Jennifer had disappeared by the light of dawn. Leaving an obscure note explaining she would be out on business the whole day and back by supper. Brittani had never been able to help her brother through his problems because she'd been too young at the time. _To hell with stepping on another Queen's territory_, she thought.

"Get up," demanded. At first there came no response from the lump on the mattress.

"What?" Annoyed, slightly angry. _ Take control, _she thought. "Get the Hell out, witch!" Pissed off. Brittani pulled off the covers from the mattress. The Prince was in pajamas and his face looked long and his eyes red from tears. He was glaring at her with the most violent intent she would have sworn he was on the killing edge at that very moment. Strangely, she didn't care.

With a strength that only comes from Eyrien training (taught by her brother, of course) she grabbed Vinear and dragged him out of the room and into the shower. This happened in such a swift set of motions that Vinear had no time to react and whatever edge he had reached moments before was lost. Into the shower he went, clothes and all and on came the water pouring down on him, washing off the grime that had collected on his skin.

When it was over, Vinear sat soaked on the floor of the shower looking up at Brittani with a face of someone whom had so clearly and completely given up. He sat there limp and almost lifeless; his golden eyes open but not really there. It was almost like he was lost, and that frightened Brittani, but it wasn't enough to make her petty him. Petty never helpped anyone, she knew that for sure. The pain she saw in Vinear's eyes was from something much deeper than a mere tiff between a prince and his queen.

Knowing what she did about him, Brittani made a decision. It was rash and she might get her head put on the chopping block for taking charge of another Queen's subject, especially one that held her by contract, but she felt she had a duty to help Vinear. Pain was a thing she knew well from many angles, and Vinear was set in a place she herself was all too familiar with.

"Prince, I would advise you to get washed and prepare yourself." No response at first, then a low croak with a layer of sarcasm.

"Are you attempting to clean me as well? I don't believe Jennifer mentioned that being part of your talents. You're not my type. Bag of bones you are." The last bit was said with a bite of hurtful intention. So he was calling her a whore and insulting her body all in one breathe so she would become angry and leave him alone. Inwardly she rolled her eyes. She could have laughed in his face if she wasn't sure it would result in the bathroom tiles becoming stained with her blood. _Try harder next time, _she thought.

"Get washed."

"You seem to be in the habit of giving orders, witch. Might I remind you that while you are a Queen, you are not _my_ Queen and you are living in my house under my Queen's will. In other words, your demands are shit to me, witch." Anger had made him more alert. He had tried to hurt her again. She ignored him. Instead she turned the water on again, hot. Vinear jumped up as the water hit him square in the face. The entire scene was humorously cartoonish. Brittani threw the soap at him and left him there, returning only once to leave fresh clothes by the shower and locking the door behind her so he couldn't escape.

She turned to the terrifying task before her. The room was a nightmare but she tackled it nonetheless. By the time she heard the water turn off in the bath, the floor was picked up and the trash disposed. She was a fast worker and she'd always been proud of it. Last to be done was the bed. She was replacing the sheets when the Prince exited the bathroom clean and dressed. He seemed more awake but no more pleased to see her then he had been originally.

"Fine, I'm washed. Now, for the last time, leave me be! I have better things to do than to bother with you."

"Like what?" She had thrown him for a loop there. He hadn't expected her to question him.

"

I have…things to schedule, writing to do."

"If these things were so important then you would have done them three days ago." That was bold and unexpected. He looked caught off guard and then he glared at her.

_Horrible temper_, thought Brittani. _Is there ever a moment when he's not angry? _Come on. We'll go for a walk. The sun is high today and I've done my work around the house."

"Mother Night. Buzz off, witch, before I call the Hounds of Hell on you!"

"My name is Brittani. I may work for your Queen but I am not to be insulted." She said this with a solid voice and looked him right in the eyes. For that, Vinear respected her a little more and the annoyance on his face wavered.

"Just give me a moment to go down to the kitchen," he said submissively. Brittani was mentally giddy. She had gotten a Gray Jeweled Warlord Prince to listen to her! Vinear growled a little in his throat before leaving for the kitchen. Vinear passed Kass in the kitchen but she didn't say a word when she caught the look on his face.

"So, Prince Vinear, how long have you been in Lady Jennifer's service?" Brittani asked on their way out of the house, past the lodge that was now Brittani and her fiery eyed brother's residence. Vinear wondered where the Eyrien was and then reconsidered. It was better off not thinking about him at all. Her question was a reasonable and common one to be asked, so he answered without much hesitation.

"I've known the Lady since childhood. We had the same schooling, for the most part." A tie formed from childhood was bound to be strong in adulthood, even in ones still so young as the Queen and Prince. "We've stuck together since then."

"Are you two an item?"

"No," he said, and she Brittani almost laughed at the way his face blenched at the thought of such a thing being true. "No, we are friends, almost siblings." His eyes suddenly darkened and at once Brittani could tell he was still hurt in some way to what the queen had done. Though exactly what that was, she had absolutely no idea. She'd had other questions about the Queen's unofficial court, but she thought it best to keep quiet. And as she had predicted, the Prince seemed to prefer it that way.

The house was located on in the country away from the city and most of civilization. It was built specifically on such a location because as a Queen, Jen liked to be connected with nature as much as possible. However, in a quirk that could only be described as irony, Jen detested gardening work. The woods were the next best option for an outlet and she often roamed the woods at night to channel the strength of the earth and the moon, as she would say.

When they had reached a place where the ground began to rise beneath their feet, it was clear Vinear hadn't been paying much attention to where they were going. He glanced sidelong at Brittani and she urged him on. If this were any sort of trap he felt he could take down an Opal Jeweled witch, and if there were others then they would not be likely to be any stronger than his own Gray. The strength of the Blood had dwindled in past years, even in Kaeleer. Further up the hill they went until the dirt became rocky and Vinear no longer recognized the path they were on.

He had never been this far out and it wasn't till they were almost to the top that Vinear realized she was leading him somewhere up the side of the mountain. They were walking up the side of the small but respectable mountain that one could see if they looked out the second floor window of his room. The reason why he kept the curtains shut.

"Why would you bring us here? If you had asked I would have told you that I hate heights." His voice was shaking.

"You think I would have believed that?" She cast a cocked eye in direction that said: _I'm not the fool you think I am, Prince_. Vinear mentally chastised himself for not using checking her thoughts for any tricks she might be planning. His emotions had been so jumbled up that he had blocked everyone else out and forgotten about his own ability. _I'm such a damn failure!_

In that instant he surged into her mind as if there were no walls or doors there at all and searched her thoughts. Oddly enough, she wasn't thinking of much other than the smell of the mountain air and the feel of its ruffle through her hair. Her surroundings completely occupied her surface thoughts and that was all Vinear was able to find.

They were standing on ledge off the side of the mountain. Vinear clang to the solid rock like a lifeline. Brittani, however, had come close to the edged and faced the wind, her eyes half closed as if she were daydreaming. Vinear thought she was crazy.

"Why are you hugging the mountain like that?" Her voice was somehow changed, more confident. It was clear she was in her element here. "My brother discovered this spot yesterday. He says it's a nice place to take off for some flying. I wanted to come out here and see for myself and I thought you might appreciate it as well." Vinear stayed close to the wall side of the mountain. He avoided heights at all cost. It had been one of the things his mother's husband had always teased him for.

The truth was pathetic that he had never told anyone about it, not even Jennifer. To be in such a place brought him pain, having to be reminded that he could never take flight set his heart to ache. The desire he felt each time a strong wind ruffled his hair was torture and to be in a place where the earth meet the sky was too much to bare. He wanted to know what she planned to do. Just how much did Brittani know about him? Then she grabbed his arm and brought him close to the edge. The wind caught up and all nervousness fell away. He felt at peace and at war with himself as usual.

"You know what I am," he said. He wasn't angry, just withdrawn, defeated.

"Yes. The name gave it away. Though I wasn't aware that it was something you were trying to hide."

"So you brought me out here to cheer me up? The mountains do wonders for your brother so you thought it would do the same for me.

"My brother has very little to do with it. No. I find the mountains the best place to sort out my emotions. No matter how much it may hurt afterwards, it does wonders for the soul."

"I can't figure you out," He was getting curious. "What do you know about the pain of the wind?" They were both quiet for a while after that. Vinear had no desire to search her mind. He no longer felt threatened by her and he knew that part of reason for that had do with the mountain. Brittani gave a little inward say. She was being bold and she thought the day was one for being bold if ever there was one. She let go of Vinear and with a slightly reddened face, she undid the back of her shirt and turned to face the wall of the mountain with her hair pushed to the side.

Scars ran down her back between her shoulder blades. They were old, thin and well healed over. Vinear was silent, a new set of questions coming to the surface. She wasn't a half sister; She and Palavar were true full blooded siblings.

"I was born with a twisted wing. We were so poor. My parents couldn't afford to have me seen by a Healer. Things were such a disaster in Terreille then. My mother blamed it on her short-living blood. They had both my wings removed and gave me a non-Eyrien name to make things easier for me." She was fastening her shirt again and turning back to the mountain's edge. "But nothing could make the pain go away."

They spent the rest of the day on the mountain's edge. Vinear told Brittani of his past. About his mother and the Hyllain man that had made his a bastard. They spoke of their shared dreams of soaring through the air on Ebon Askavi. There was much they had in common and yet there were some things that Vinear felt she would rather not discuss and respected that. Brittani found a way to get around the pain and for that, she was far wiser than Vinear. When the sun began to set they turned their way back home.

Vinear had found someone like him, someone who shared the burden of forever being grounded. The pain of the wind now seemed at least bearable with a companion to ride it with. He realized why Palavar had never questioned him about his name.

"Do you have a problem with my brother?" It wasn't an accusing question just a curious one. They were exiting the woods now and a mere yard from the house.

"I honestly don't know." He stopped for a moment, getting his thoughts in order then giving up. "He frightens me," he admitted. "With Warlord Princes there's always tension. We don't like others coming in to our territory, especially when our Queen's are involved" He smiled at Brittani then, the first in a long while. "But your brother, there's something about him that's completely terrifying to me. I've never felt it in another Warlord Prince before." He felt embarrassed now for being so open about everything. He was basically talking down her brother and he didn't want to offend her. Not after what she had just done for him.

"Palavar has always been very distant from me. When I was born he was already a young man and for Eyrien males that is a time of great difficulty. The training can be brutal. So while he has never been the warmest person in the world, I do know that he loves me. When I was a toddler he told me stories and he played with me and when I got older he protected me, as Warlord Princes are known to do. But I've seen him do things in order to protect me that have at times given me nightmares. His temper is great but so is his heart, if he trusts you."

"I don't plan on trying anything with his heart, but I understand what you're saying, I suppose." Brittani looked at him as if he were odd, then she laughed. "What's so funny?" They were entering the house now.

"Nothing, I think the excitement of the day has taken its toll on me." Kass spotted them as they came back into the house, she was busy at work in the kitchen with the finally touches of the night's dinner. Jennifer had returned and was lying on the couch in the living room looking suspiciously worn out.

"Hey," said Jen when Brittani and Vinear passed by her on their way in inside.

"Hey," they both replied and then Jen reached out with one hand and in a rare display of affection cupped her hand in Vinear's They didn't say anything and as far as both of them were concerned it would have ruined the point.

"So tell me about your day, guys. Any adventures?" Jen asked.

"Nothing exciting today, I was so bored; I had to spend the day with the maid." Brittani cocked an eye at him. He gave the same looked back. He figured they might as well be on joking grounds from then on. "Where have _you_ been all day?" Jen moved around on the couch to get more comfortable.

"I was visiting some old teachers. We did a lot of spell work today and it's drained me. Kass, when's dinner going to be ready? I'm starving!" Kass popped her head in from the kitchen.

"The lamb's almost done. Just give it another ten minutes. Patience, woman, I'm only one cook-witch!" She saw Vinear and smiled. "Good to see you up and about, Vi. Oh, before I forget. Have you seen Nine?"

"No." The kitten had been out of his mind for the past couple of days. He'd completely forgotten about the little fur ball."Is there something wrong?"

"He's been gone a couple of days. I leave out his food but he's just gone. I thought you might be keeping him huddled up in that room of yours."

"Well he's not really a house cat," said Jen. "He could just be having a good time hunting for little wood mice. He'll be back in a couple of days, probably tomorrow."

"I hope so," said Kass. She loved Nine as much as Vinear did since she had been the one to find his mother. She had told Vinear she would have stolen the kitten from him if given the chance. Kass went back to work on dinner after Jennifer's heated demand and a playful tossing of name calling.

"I should get back to the apartment to check on Palavar. I'll come back to get our dinner later if my brother hasn't gone out and made something himself already."

"Yes, we must find him something to do around the house. Send him to see me the day after tomorrow. I'll be working tomorrow so I won't have the time," said Jen. Brittani nodded and turned to leave and as she walked out the door she heard Vinear's voice on an Opal thread. **Thank you, Sister,** he said.

*************************************************************

Chelsi and Jeremy's house was situated in the capitol city. Jeremy didn't serve in any court even though there were many territory Queens who would love to have him at their dispose. He was a hard working Warlord Prince and those were hard to come by. Instead he did work for Jennifer in managing her accounts and her investments. Though her court wasn't yet an official one with no land to rule as of yet, it was understood by all the Queen's in Dhemlan that the couple were of limits. Chelsi on the other hand was a full member of Jennifer's coven and a writer. Her work was translated into comical artwork and published in volumes. The concept was new among the Blood but it was quickly becoming popular with the upper class.

As she sat down in a chair of the living room, Jen held an envelope with the latest art works for Chelsi's comics. She did most of the artwork for each volume and received a small portion of the profits. That was only a part the reason why she was visiting that afternoon. There was the matter of a certain botched spell she had to take care of. _AAAAHHH! You murdering bitch! I should have drowned you in the cradle! _

"You see what I mean?" asked Jeremy. He sat down in the chair across from Jen and took a draw from his coffee.

"How does Chelsi stand it?" She noted that Jeremy kept plugs in his ears.

"She's been up in her office. You know how she gets when she's working, nothing can get to her. I could burn down the house with her in it and she wouldn't notice it."

"I should get to work then. Which room is it upstairs?" He led her to the second floor guest room two doors down and across from Chelsi's work room. He left her there, not wanting anything to do with Black Widow's magic. He thought the whole thing was best left to women as illusions and poisons were too much for his taste.

She started out by first activating the spell so she could see exactly how it all worked. The room filled with a loud shriek _AAAHHHH!_ as two women appeared out of thin air. They appeared to be very solid, not translucent like she had imagined. Chelsi's spell was strong but flawed nonetheless. The women (mother and daughter she assumed), were struggling on the bed. The old woman had a knife aimed at her daughter's throat. The younger woman fought back, holding the old one off at the wrists.

The knife, Jen could only imagine, must have been charged with power of some kind because it glow even in the light of the room as pale shade of pink. Perhaps a light Opal or Rose, thought Jen. She then proceeded to block out the noise of the squabbling mother and daughter. She needed to go to her Ebon gray and take control, start to unravel.

This was different from the freeing of the threads. What Jen did while in the Twisted Kingdom came naturally. This was much more structured. She had to study the threads that made the spell, learn how they connected and tied together, how she could undo them and how much powers was needed behind her efforts. But the hardest part of all was having to this in the physical world. She had to encompass the room itself in her magic and make it into a realm of threads and knots. Remembering the basic thread designs Tersa had taught her for this type of spell, Jen plunged deep into the darkness and into her power. She gathered as much power as she could up and then out and wrapped it around the room. Now securely draped in magic the room was full of dark shadows and the sun did not shine through the open window.

The forms of the two ghostly women stood stuck in motion and to Jennifer's eyes they seemed hollow and undone at the center. The core of magic that held their shapes showed bright within them. So it was that Jen could touch the threads that held this tangled web together and knowing Tersa's lessons and the intuitive motion of her hands, she set to work undoing the murderous pair.

Three hours later Jen emerged from the guest room looking exuaughsted, yet pleases. She immediately asked for some water and something to chew on. A pitcher and roll of bread was brought to her at Jeremy's request by an odd faced little man that she had never seen before. He quickly gawked at her when he saw her and then just as quickly dropped his gaze to the floor. When he settled down the tray on the coffee table he stood there awkwardly staring at her and she was about to threaten to tear his eyes out when Chelsi's voice came tumbling down from up the stairs.

"Boa, where are the first drafts to chapter 3? I told you to file it in the orange folder and it's not there! My editor will have a fit if it's not delivered by four this afternoon!" The man jumped practically out of his skin. That reminded Jen.

"Here," she said before he got too far, "take this to her. Tell her it's from Jennifer." She tossed him the artwork she'd brought for the next volume. It dropped to the floor and he scrambled to catch it and ran up the stairs.

"Mother Night, he creeps me out. I wonder what's wrong with him." She pushed the strange man out her thoughts. Today she would go home and rest. The past two days had worn her out and it didn't help that her moon time was approaching. Normally she would threaten Vinear when he started pestering her but this time she thought she would welcome some pampering. Oh, and with Palavar in the house there were two Warlord Princes to attend to. There was no way to avoid it now. Just as well, she thought as she left the house and the city behind on a Sapphire wind.

************************************************************

She didn't see him watching her from the window of the workroom as she left the house. After a week of working for this eccentric woman and her intimidating man she had finally come! He thought would never happen and he would be stuck her for two whole years or more as a common house servant. But what he had seen today was sure to have some value to Ally.

The Queen had worked some kind of perverse magic. He saw it from the vents. When Jennifer had arrived he told Chelsi he was going out to run errands. The crazy witch was so caught up in her madness, papers everywhere, ink splattered on her face and hands, which always held a cup of coffee no matter what hour of the day or night it was. She never took notice when he left.

He knew the house well now. He'd wandered it when they weren't home or when the witch and her man weren't yapping orders at him. In the vents he went and he watched the Queen work her dark magic. At first he thought nothing of it when the ghosts appeared again, though he did jump from their sudden appearance, knocking his head agians the ceiling of the vent. They had been a constant throne in his side taking away from his sleep and giving him nightmares of the most dreadful variety.

Then the shadows came and grew and swallowed the room. He covered his mouth when he thought he might scream for fear that the dark clouds might engulf him with it. What he saw afterword was indescribable. He truly could not explain it. He knew Black Widows and their work but he had never seen one do this. He wasn't sure what she would do with this information but know Alyanda as he did, he reasoned she would find it very useful with her skills. The sooner this witch was out of the way and his Ally was happy again the better.

**AN: Longest chapter yet! Please review. It motivates me to write more and put off my homework! Also, look forward to finally having some Vinear and Palavar interaction. **


	6. A Letter

Words in _italics _are regular thoughts

Words in **Bold** are conversations in Telepathy between people

Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the Black Jewel characters or universe ect., the Black Jewel universe ect belongs to Anne Bishop

**AN: This isn't really a chapter, honestly. More like a quickie chapter. Any errors are due to my Beta's lack of communication. .**

He vowed that today would be different. He wouldn't get sulky or angry and nothing would get to him. He was a Gray Jeweled Warlord Prince and he was going to act like one. That's what he told himself as he want down for breakfast. He smiled at Kass and Jen as he sat down at the table.

"Vinear, look what we've got in the mail," said Jennifer. "It's a letter from House Casnel."

His face fell and his stomach curdled. He wasn't hungry anymore. "From Tibin or my mother?" This could still be good news. Tibin, the family servant, sent letter every once and a while about things going on in the house, how his mother was doing and even personal things. Tibin was the only person at House Casnel that he got along with, even liked.

Jen's face scrounged up in a nasty scowl. "It's from Edomar," The eggs he had just swallowed threaten to find their way back and on to his plate. _Mother Night and_ _May the Darkness be merciful. _Edomar Casnel, his mother's husband, had never made any effort to contact Vinear in the years since he'd left the House. It had been a mutual agreement from the very first day they met.

Edomar loved Vinear's mother, he had no doubt of that. He treated her well and gave her what she needed, a companion. But Edomar had never given him the same kindness and there were things that he knew about Edomar that would leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth.

"Let me see it," he managed to croak out the words. He noted the official letterhead of House Casnel. _Still holding on to your false pride, I see._ The farther he got intod the letter the more his mood darkened and by the end of it he flung it across the room and nearly banged his head against the table in frustration.

"What's wrong," asked Jen.

"He wants us to come for a visit," His voice was dropped to a near growl.

"He what?" Jennifer's eyes grow big for a moment and she looked at the discarded letter on the kitchen floor and back at Vinear with a look of deep concern. She called the letter to her and read it up and down several times. "He must be joking! He's having some sort of banquette and he wants the entire gang to come for the weekend, even Jeremy and Chelsi."

"Pardon me if I'm over stepping my boundaries, but what's so odd about getting a letter from your stepfather?" asked Brittani. She was helping Kass with the dishes. He had told her about his mother getting married and she knew who Edomar was but she didn't know about their relationship, or the lack of one.

"My mother's husband does not do something nice unless he expects to get something out of it."

"This is bad," said Kass. "I didn't know Edomar from our childhood as well as you and Jen did, but when I was around him, I always got a bad feeling." Vinear could feel that same wave of worry coming off Jen who was off in her own head. For a moment he thought about taking a peek inside her mind and seeing exactly what going on in that blonde head of hers. He decided to leave her only and to focus on his own thoughts which were sick with anxiety.

"I think…I think he wants me there for the publicity," said Jen suddenly coming out of her stupor. "If he's holding a banquette then he must want me there so he can use me. If the people of Dharo find out that his stepson works in the Inner Circle of a young, powerful Queen, it would restore some of the glory to that damnable estate of his."

She was right. Jen, while still without a court, was the first Ebon gray of either gender born in over a century in all the realms. Vinear was one of the few remaining Grays. Whatever court she did eventually settle would be a very powerful one compared to most. Whoever gained her favor would gain status in Kaeleer, and many had tried. It had been that way since her days apprenticing in Queen Zhara's court.

"Do we accept?" asked Kass. She had stopped what she was doing. Food and dishes forgotten, she had been swept up in the mood. Brittani sat at the table across from Vinear, silent. Jennifer's eyes were heavy and she looked at all of them and breathed a sigh.

"It seems like he's trying to get on your good side by inviting all of us, Vinear. He must be in desperate need of the attention my presence will bring. Brittani, what say you? I would like to know how a fellow Queen would handle this situation." Brittani blinked, singled out. She answered with assurance.

"If you mean going into hostel grounds, I would ask if there's any real danger in going. What can this Lord Edomar do to harm you? If you can answer that and find nothing to worry about, then I would then ask if it's possible that he may want to make amends. I do not know much if anything about your relationship with your mother's husband, Prince, but do you not think it would be better if this tension, whatever it is, be resolved?" Jennifer nodded, approvingly.

"So, in truth, it's up to you, Vinear. Can you handle going to Casnel House?" He stared at the ingrained wood of the table and took a deep breath.

"Fine, but Scott comes with us as your bodyguard. No one at Casnel House wears anything darker than Opal. We may have to separate and if I'm not there to protect you, then Scott will be, and his Red will be more than enough." She more than disliked the idea of having a bodyguard, even if it was Scott. But she knew this was important to Vinear so she agreed.

"You damn Warlord Princes and your over-attentiveness. We leave in four days then." She moved to leave the table and gather her things for the day's work of drawings.

"Speaking of our _over-attentiveness_. Bed. Now."

_Shit! _She cringed with her back turned to him. _The strongest masking spells I have and he _still_ smells it!_ She turned around slowly to face him. Her face was one of pleading. Back to her work, Kass let out a small nervous giggle to herself. This was a game they all played with Vinear a few days a month. One that even Jennifer always lost.

"But," her voice was awash with annoyance and a slight bit of nervousness, "I was planning on working on some artwork for Chelsi today and I still have yet to give Prince Palavar a proper job around the house. And what of the plans for the trip? Things need to be handled and…" _Why do I even try?_ She saw it in his eyes. He wasn't listening to her.

"I will take care of those things. You will not leave this house for the next three days, understood?" His golden eyes were firm with her and she thought however different Vinear was from other men she knew, he was still every bit a damnable male and at the moment with her powers stunted by her moon time, he was the most powerful person in the house at the moment. Jeremy and Scott, perhaps even Palavar would back him up and put bars on the windows if necessary. _No choice. Damn males. _If there was anything she hated the most in the world it was not being able to do things on her terms.

She thought about calling in something heavy and throwing it at him backed up with the force of Craft, thinking she could withstand the crippling pain it would bring. But that would only piss him off and she would be condemned even worse than she already was. Probably chained to the bed and force fed sleeping tonic. She didn't doubt he could or would do that.

"Damn right I would." He said. She had forgotten about _that. _"Remember I don't need to smell or sense anything to know what's going on with you." He tapped his temple. She really had gotten soft for him to be able to tell from her mind. In retaliation she growled and then fussed up to her room, closing the door behind her and feeling the door Graylock, trapping her inside.

In truth, Vinear didn't have to be inside her mind. Those masking spells she had most likely cast on herself the night before had grown weak without a fresh power source and he was able to feel around them. It didn't matter either way. He kept a mental track of all the women in the house (though he didn't tell them that) and would most likely do the same for Brittani once she started cycle. He'd known that Jen was due sometime that week.

"You're as bad as my brother, Prince," commented Brittani.

"I'm cruel by necessity. She'd run herself ragged just to prove a point, if I let her. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go out and get her one of those fantasy romance novels she like to read. She'll need it to past the time up there." He made to leave and gathered his coat off the hook by the door.

"Wait," said Brittani. He turned and glanced at her with one eyebrow up, inquisitive. "You do need to give my brother something to do. He feels as if he's been leeching off of you with paying his due. Not to mention he's as restless as a startled deer and driving me mad with his fidgeting." She had become very frank with Vinear since their friendship had began to blossom. Vinear closed his eyes and was glad she couldn't hear the soft whimper he let lose in his mind. First Edomar and now he had to confront the Eyrien. Fine good day this was turning out to be.

"Ahh, fine, I'll see him after I get back. Is there anything else you want?" He meant it sarcastically. She merely smiled at him and said.

"A good mystery romance would be nice, if it's not too much of a bother."

"Of course it isn't," he said, bitterly.

**AN: This was VERY short, I know. But I had to end it here because it sets off the pace of the rest of the story and from here on out, the M rating is going to be in full usage. There's some good stuff coming up for chapter lucky number 7. Please Review.**


	7. Just Beginning

Words in _italics _are regular thoughts

Words in **Bold** are conversations in Telepathy between people

Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the Black Jewel characters or universe ect., the Black Jewel universe ect belongs to Anne Bishop

He was soaking in a warm bath for the evening; there had been no rest for him that day running back and forth, in and out of town, doing Jennifer's errands. They rarely used the tub out here in the back of the house. There wasn't any plumbing but the spring near the apartments held hot water perfect for such baths. _After working my ass off all day, I deserve it._ He had the only set of rooms in the house without a tub. So when it suited him he would sneak out and collect water from the spring and lay down in the water.

His muscles were relaxed; his mind was at ease for once. There was no one there to bother him, no letters to think about at the moment, only the hot water working the knots out of his back. He used Craft to create a shield around his head with a fair amount of air in it and then submerged himself under the water completely. He looked up open eyed through the glossy vision of the water. He began to get drowsy and came back up. The shield around his head dissolved and he braced his back against one end of the tub laid his head back. He hardly cared that he was falling asleep.

Hands were bracing his shoulders, the back of his neck. He felt his neck pop and the tension that had been building there for weeks released. Such a relief it was to finally have that gone. The hands were back at his shoulders, determined it seemed, to get that last knot between the blades and when he felt it snapped back into place he let out both a mental and a literal sigh. Whoever was doing this, Mother Night, must be a dream.

_Who _is _doing this? _Not quite yet out of his daze, Vinear sent out a mental probe. Better to trust a sure thing than just a psychic vibe. His mental tendril brushed the surface of a mind in the room, seeking its way in stealthily. It was met with heat and haze so confusing that he retracted into himself as if he had been burned and blinded, He stayed that way for a few moments until his mind cleared and he was now fully alert and panicked.

It was the Eyrien.

He want from scared to pissed and then embarrassed. Scared because of the Eyrien's mind and the strange effect it had on him, pissed because his privacy and personal time had been violated, and downright red-faced embarrassed because in his panic he'd jumped up out of the water splashing everything in his path, including the Eyrien. And he was standing there completely exposed with no idea where his towel was. _Relax, just call one in. _He thought it but he didn't do it. His mind went blank and he froze. Palavar just stared at him. He was covered in drops of water. He seemed indifferent to the whole situation.

Vinear felt a wave of overwhelming silliness as the urge to faint crept up on him.

"Mother Night! Are you alright? You look like you're about to fall over dead and cold." Palavar called in a towel. "Here, take it before you keel over on me. I was only giving you a masseuse, you know. No need to jump out of your skin like that." _No need?_ Vinear grabbed the towel as if it were a lifesaver and wrapped it around his waist. Feeling much less exposed than before, Vinear was able to find his voice and whatever anger he could muster to throw at Palavar.

"You come in here while I'm sleeping and assume it's perfectly acceptable to start…start touching me?"

"'t's not like I haven't seen anything like what you've got before." He said it with a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. A smile that annoyed Vinear to the point where it gave him shivers. _Why in the name of Hell does he have this effect on me?_

"Whatever it is you _warriors_ did in those training camps of yours, it has no place in civilized society." He was going for the sore spot that every Eyrien has. It didn't work on Palavar.

"I've found being civilized is a lot less fun than being a brute."

No chance at chipping at him there. _Play the defensive._

"Leave me be, Prince. I'm sure you have some wood to chop or some knives to play with." Snide, confident.

"Not so fast,_ Prince_," he said Vinear's rank with the same mocking formality and completely ignored Vinear's jab at his dignity. "I came looking for you. My sister told me we were supposed to meet today."

"Oh? Must have slipped my mind. I've been busy today. My Queen is on light duty this week." Palavar nodded.

"I could feel the change in the house this morning." _So he's strong enough to sense such a things without having to be close to Jen._

"Well, as you can see, I'm in no condition to have any sort of meeting." He began to wonder why he had even bothered talking to the Eyrien in the first place instead of just kicking him out. "Out, will you?" he pointed to the exit to make his point. His hand held on tightly to the towel wrapped around his waist, feeling overly exposed again, realizing that his chest had been bare that entire time and nearly choked from the embarrassment.

A wave of sexual heat rose in the air. There was no mistaking it for anything else. For some males of the darker Jeweled Blood, sex was a weapon and they let off waves of their sensuality to seduce or even intimate their enemies. Vinear had never been caught in such a wave nor had he ever cast one out having never met a male darker than himself and he lacked the confidence to try it, nor ever felt the need to.

It wrapped around him. Made the hairs go up on his arms and traveled up his back and cradled the back of his head, nuzzled the back of his neck, and caressed his cheek. He found his body leaning into it without though. It felt like the fire that had burned his mental tendril, only more gentle and controlled. Warm and inviting with the hint of a threat of become dangerous at any moment. This energy was very _male. _ His body betrayed him in a way that would have shamed him if he had been of focused mind. _Mine. _The thought seized him.

His eyes half open, his body feeling weightless. He felt Palavar's hand touch his chin and turn his head to look him straight in the eyes.

"I understand that you forgot to give me a job assignment this afternoon. Would the next morning do better for you?" What to do? Vinear only nodded in response.

When Palavar left him standing there and the room cleared of the psychic smoke that left Vinear's head swimming in loops of _Mine, _Vinear slumped to the ground and tried to connect the dots in his brain. Several minutes later he was bent over in the grass outside vomiting and feeling sick with himself.

He wasn't even going to try and ask himself what had just happened. He'd become aroused, that was for certain. Palavar's little game had had some sort of sick effect on him. No reason to wonder why, no point. Just forget it. It never happened and he would avoid the Eyrien as much as he could. Who in the name of Hell did the Eyrien think he was, playing such a trick on another male of darker strength? He would get the bastard back. He tried to summon the comforting cold of the killing edge but he couldn't hold on to it, couldn't hold on to anything concrete in his mind. He caught himself before he could beat his head open with a rock, trying to get the last echoes of _Mine _out of his thoughts.

******************************************************

Jennifer lay in bed, an open book rested on her chest. _Stuck in this damn room for hours…Days! I can't, I just can't! Not when there's so much chance of danger._ The letter from Edomar. She shouldn't have agreed to go. She should have burned the damn thing the moment she saw the House's seal on the envelope. _What are the chances of him…? _Nothing, if they didn't go back to House Casnel.

She hated the days when she couldn't use her Craft. As an Ebon gray Black Widow Queen she believed it was important to exorcise her abilities. There were no other Ebon gray Blood in all the realms, except one. Luciver Yaslana was the Ebon gray Warlord Prince of Ebon Rih, brother of the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan, and the son of the High Lord of Hell. Though people never said it out loud, less they somehow summon the High Lord out of Hell. Though they wore the same Jewel of rank, Jen knew she couldn't tango with Yaslana. His power came from an ancient and dark bloodline and even though she had never met him, she knew his Ebon gray would somehow be darker than her's.

Still, she was strong and she knew that Edomar was seeking to use that strength for some purpose. Was he trying to reconcile with Vinear after all those years? Jen not only doubt it, she would have bet her Jewels against it. Edomar had never been a good father to Vinear. He loved Vinear's mother but he was always cold to the boy if for no other reason than because he saw Vinear as a bastard, a bastard who could never become a proper Eyrien because he had no wings. Jen could never understand that Eyrien pride. Something that had never mattered to her or any of the others was enough to make Vinear an outcast among his people.

When she had met Edomar for the first time she was ten and had known Vinear for almost two years. By that time Vinear had also made friends with Chelsi, Kass, and Jess and their circle had just begun to take form. As school children that studied academics and Craft and they played together, often going to each other's homes and meeting each other's parents. In those first two years Vinear had never taken any of them to his house and they had all begun to worry. Vinear spoke of his parents rarely and even then he only talked about his mother. When they had finally twisted his arm enough-Jen had literally twisted his arm near the end of it-he agreed to take them over one afternoon. The experience was less then cheerful. House Casnel is a house feigned in grandeur.

While it was an extensive property, its gardens were over grown and the forest almost swallowed it in to the trees. The house was built in a style she couldn't recognize. The strangest thing about house Casnel was that it wasn't the usual Eyrien eriye. While it was situated on high ground off the forest near the mountains, it wasn't a true Eyrien home, something that made Jen doubt the legitimacy of the Casnels' claim on the land.

The man of the house simply gave her the creeps. There was a dark undercurrent to Edomar, something she had been able to sense from the moment she had laid eyes on him. Some of the worst psychic vibes she had ever felt were at that house. She knew all too well what kind of secrets Vinear kept locked away inside, even from himself.

_One more day. _They would all go. They weren't children anymore, they were strong, dark Blood and whatever Edomar was up to, he needed to know that Jennifer and her Circle could take whatever he could dish out.

***********************************************************

_He was holding the knife, brandishing the blade like a short sword to keep them back, to protect them. There was blood on his face where they had cut him when he'd bit the man's hand. They hadn't found her yet, she had ran and hidden the fields amongst the corn rows. He was trying to lead them away so they wouldn't find her and take her way those other men had taken away like Mama and Papa…_

"Wake up!" Someone was shaking her. Hands wrapped gripping her shoulder so tight she dived all the way to the Opal and thought to come soaring up and out of herself in defense.

**No! You'll break yourself, Brittani. **A man's voice was in her head, angry and yelling at her to stop or she'd hurt herself.

**Go away! You cannot hurt me! You cannot take us away! **

**Hell's Fire! WAKE UP! **

There was power behind those words and it grabbed her and brought her out of the Opal and back up to the surface of her body and into consciousness. The force was a violent one and she may have broken from the force alone if she hadn't had the sense not to fight it. She woke and found Palavar standing over her and her first reaction was to slap him silly.

"What in the name Hell were you thinking?" she spat. She sat up in bed and smoothed the hair out her eyes. The bed was disheveled and soaked in the sweat of nightmares.

"You were having another nightmare. Normally I would have let you go through the fits, but I felt you dropping down into yourself way too fast. I was worried," he said all nonchalant.

"So you thought shaking me awake would help?" The fight was gone from her voice. She didn't feel well. He just stared at her for a moment with those charming eyes of his. _He knows he's done something wrong and now he's using charm to win me over._ She sighed. "Just tell me how it went with Prince Vinear," she said, waving her hand to swipe the argument way. She saw him smile when she did and knew he was glad of it.

"Well," he said, "Better than I had expected."

"Meaning he didn't bite your head off"

"Humph, yeah," he laughed a little. "Not that he actually could if he tried. He's unbelievably stubborn, but that just makes it more fun for me."

"Pal, please, be careful with him. I know you like to play around with people, but I like him." She was worried Pal would do something to push Vinear off the edge. She knew the prince wasn't stable in the state he was in and Pal had a bad habit of getting cocky, never knowing when to stop bending until the rod snapped under pressure.

"Everything will be fine," he said, smiling. "Just remember not to think anything suspicious when you're around him. It's all gone according to the book." She rolled her eyes.

"So far," she smirked. "How do we even know it's him?"

"How many Ebon gray Queens are there in Kaeleer?" Yes, the book said that they would find what they were looking for among an Ebon grey Queen in Kaeleer and so far they had found one. Pal had given up everything he had to do it and Brittani had left her homerealm to make it all possible. Now that they were here, Brittani wasn't sure exactly what they were doing. They'd followed an old trail of dreams all the way here and now they had to sit by and wait for something to happen. Well, at least _she _had to. Pal was off having fun, playing games with a confused Gray Warlord Prince.

"Just answer one question then." She stood up and stretched, still tired but not wanting to return to the nightmares she felt lurking in the back of her eyes. "Do you really like him?" Pal thought of Vinear's constantly furrowed brow and hot temper. He thought of how flustered the Prince would get whenever he was around.

"Yeah, I do," he said smiling.

***********************************************************

They had a day left now and the rat-faced man was scheming with his rotten Priestess. Tersa watched them on the web she had woven. The rat-faced man was a fool, she had no doubt. He was nothing but a tool for his spoiled lady. The Priestess herself was what the boy would call a little bitch witch, though he didn't know she knew that. He was, after all, a good boy.

**Bad Warlord? **asked the gray colored kitten that sat in her lap. A Purple Dusk jewel hung from the collar around its neck. The young Prince had just recently gone through the rites of his birthright ceremony.

"Yes. Bad Warlord and bad witch." She stroked the kitten's neck and he purred and braced his head into her hand. The rat-faced man was the Priestess' spy. Well, Tersa had her own spy. She knew of the letter that had come to the house from the Eyrien Lord and she knew from her webs that the Priestess was involved. And though she could not interfere, because those who see and weave fate could only play little to no part in its proceedings, she could send others to cast an influence.

The Kitten Prince would watch were she couldn't see and protect them where she couldn't reach.

"Time to go back home."

"**I will protect them, promise. Gray Prince belongs to me. Protect. Promise." **As the young Prince left on the Winds, Tersa returned to her web. Things were just beginning, the first trial of their strength, and the power of Terreille's Triangle.


	8. A Very Short Arrival

Words in _italics _are regular thoughts

Words in **Bold** are conversations in Telepathy between people

Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the Black Jewel characters or universe ect., the Black Jewel universe ect belongs to Anne Bishop

_House Casnel was a dead hollowed out shell. Its eye socket-windows stared out at you and stole your soul. That was what I thought when I first saw it. My new home was the discarded skull of a giant. Perhaps left behind after some fateful battle held long ago in a time when the Blood weren't yet a dream and men used swords and arrows instead of Craft. _

_I clutched my mother's hand. I did not like this new place. I seldom liked any kind of change. I didn't like this new husband, my now supposed new father. I had never had a father before and I did not think I needed one now. _

Bastard.

_I was fine with being a bastard. This man did not love me, but he loved my mother. I saw it every time he looked at her. A possession, that's what she was to him. But she was one that he would protect. _

"_Come on, Love." She squeezed my hand back. "Today, we start over," she says "today we have a new life." She pulls me forward. He's in there in there, waiting. My throat suddenly becomes very dry and I fear it will close up and I won't be able to breathe. I feel shadows close in around me. _

_We've reached the door, I see the knocker with its iron serpent's head, the jaw bitten down around the loop. It comes alive and it wants to strike out at me. I feel its red, glowing eyes making burn marks into my skin. I close my eyes tight in fear of being mesmerized by its glare, sure it will bite. _

_As the door opens and we step forward, with my eyes still closed, I make a wish for the thousandth time. I wished for a friend. _

* * *

They arrived at House Casnel in mid-morning. Nine had shown up the day before and everyone made a fuss over his Purple Dusk collar, Vinear had given several treats since then and he liked that.

"Tibin, it's great to see you," Vinear said. Tibin and Vinear shock hands and they were led into the parlor. Tibin was the only person in House Casnel that Vinear could say that he liked. Tibin had been the only friendly face he'd encountered when he and his mother had first arrived at the House. Tibin was the closet Vinear had to a friend or even to a father in those days. Tibin took their bags and told them to wait for Edomar who had expressed the desire to meet them in the parlor. Their bags would be waiting from them in their rooms afterwards.

"Are you ready for this?" asked Jen as they entered the old house.

"Yeah, I can handle it."

"Oh, you two," said Kass from behind them. "Vinear, you're a big boy now, so start acting like it."

"Forgive me for interjecting but she's right," chimed in Brittani "Edomar is lower in caste and strength than you. Remember that and use it to you advantage."

Vinear smiled. _I don't say it often enough but I'm very lucky to have so many supportive women in my life. _

"Oh, you know you love us," said Jennifer picking up on his thoughts.

The parlor door opened and Vinear's mother, Lareian walked in to greet them.

"Am I interrupting something?" They all turned.

"Mother" Vinear plastered a smile on his face and moved in to embrace her.

"You know, I almost thought I wouldn't recognize you. It's been so long since you last visited. You're taller."

"You haven't changed a bit, mother." It was true, she still had the same dark brown hair and he could see a shadow of sadness behind her eyes that had always been there as far back as he could remember. It was one of those things that he had long accepted would always be a part of her.

"Well, come in and get settled, all of you. I told Edo I would rather have you all well fed before he meets you. Rusha has prepared a delicious meal for us all. There will be very little business talk tonight. _Business talk?_ Vinear let the thought aimlessly fly out of his mind. Jennifer did the same.

_I knew this wasn't just a pleasure visit_. _Something's up. _

"Actually, mother," Vinear stopped her. "I think it be better if we all washed up first. Please, tell Edomar that we'll look forward to dinner in perhaps another half-hour." He said it so flat and matter-of-factly there was no room for argument. Soon he and the others were heading up the stairs to their rooms led by Tibin. They left his mother with a look of hesitation on her face. "Alright," she said and then turned to report Vinear's words to Edomar.

**That was a bit harsh, wasn't it, **said an unfamiliar voice on a staff to staff line. _What? _His eyes widened.

**Stay the hell out of my mind, Eyrien. **He sent that out on a Red line and Palavar gave no response nor did he give any physical reaction of sending or receiving a mental message.

Vinear was given a room across the hall from Jennifer's. That, at least, was a sign of respect for his position in her Circle. It was a good start for Edomar.

"Is this Okay with you, Vinear?" asked Tibin when stepped into the room behind Vinear. "You could share Lady Jennifer's room if you like. I'm sure the staff would understand."

"No, no, this is fine, Tibin." Vinear shock his head and tried to ignore the encouraging tone he heard in Tibin's voice. "My duties don't extend that far." Tibin shrugged. He clasped Vinear's hand in a friendly grip.

"It's good to see you again, really," he said and then left. Vinear sighed. Whatever the staff at House Casnel thought about his relationship with Jennifer he would do nothing to speak against it. There was no point. There was a knock at the door and before he could respond both Kass and Jen walked into his rooms. Kass had Nine in her arms and Jen looked a little agitated.

"Here," Kass said. "He wants you. Vinear, I think you've been spoiling him with those treats. He's little heavy." She handed the gray kitten over to Vinear and left the room. "See you later. I hope this Rusha can cook." Vinear cradled Nine in his arms like one would an infant. The Kindred cat purred and nuzzled his head against Vinear's chest. Vinear looked up at Jen expectantly and waited for her to speak.

"What do you think is going on?" she asked.

"I don't know," he scratched behind Nine's ear absent mindedly. "Just keep close to Scoltvar and me. It's a good thing they've put him in the room opposite your bedroom wall. I've put Palavar on guard as well. Just yell out if there's any trouble."

"I can take care of myself, Vi. I haven't seen anyone else here higher than Green. Unless Lucifar Yaslana is here, I don't see any problem in defending myself."

"Jen, there are other ways people can harm you, you know that," he chided her. Sometime's Jen felt like they all forgot how powerful they were. It was true. It wasn't likely that anyone would harm them while they stayed at House Casnel. But unlikely as it was, it didn't mean someone couldn't try.

* * *

He'd spent the time in the carriage ride over the winds thinking about what would being coming next in relation to their plan to take out the Ebon gray Queen. When Bobbin had last contacted Ally she had been so happy that she'd practically promised to kiss him when this was all over. His chest was filled with warmth from her praise. Now that he knew her plans he wasn't so warm and fuzzy anymore. No, now he had to deal with even bigger pains in the ass than the blond Prince and his crazy witch.

Claudette was coming and her stoic Red Warlord Guycvar would be with her as he always was. Bobbin didn't like either of them. Claudette was one of Ally's girlfriends. Her father had been one of Ally's father's men and had been killed along with him in the witchstorm over twenty-five years ago. She was a young Queen who thought her rank entitled her to anything and everything that she wanted. The truth was that Claudette was a weak Queen who had yet to acquire a court, let alone land to rule over. She treated others with distain and that had so far kept any males forming her first circle and any of the ruling Queens willing to share any land with her. Guyacvar was best described as _cold stone. _A bodyguard that stood towering over everyone and barely spoke a word just grimaced all the time. _Hell's fire_, that man gave Bobbin the chills. Claudette was there to be a distraction. It would be Guyacvar and Bobbin that would handle the heavy work.

"Boa!" The hyper witch's voice rang in his ears and made his teeth chatter. _If I have to listen to that shrewd sound for much longer I will go mad! "_Boa, hurry up and bring in our bags. I want to change into something more comfortable before supper."

He followed Chelsi to her rooms in House Casnel and set her bags down next her bed. She began to go through them and tossed the contents about the room, apparently on an intense search for something in particular. He stood there for an entire minute before realizing that he currently had nothing to do or anywhere to go.

"Uhm, Lady," he asked. Chelsi did a sudden turn around on her heels and stared him with her wild eyes, giving him her full undivided attention.

"Yes," she said. He voice was so cool that he almost jumped.

"Where, might I ask, will I be staying during this visit?" He eyes went a little wider for a moment.

"You know what? I hadn't actually thought of that," she giggled "Kinda funny if you think about it."

I _don't think it's funny at all, _Bobbin thought.

"Well, I suppose you could sleep in the servants quarters….that is…if they have servant's quarters here and if they do, I don't actually know where they are. Never been here long enough to get to know the place well." She left the room for the moment stepped out into the hallway. She turned around in all directions as if she were looking for someone. He eyes locked on Jeremy's room, which was down the hall from her room. They'd been separated because although they were together, they weren't married and for a young witch to be seen sharing a room with a man that wasn't her husband would seen as a bruise to her reputation. At least while they were staying at House Casnel. "Em, you could share Jeremy's room. I'm sure he wouldn't mind," she said. As though it were the simplest thing in the world.

"But, there's only one bed…"

"Uh…on the floor then?"

_Oh, bother…_

**AN: …Yes, I know…REALLY REALLY SHORT….But there's a reason for it! I've finally figured out where I'm going with this story. However, I'm having trouble finding the time to actually write anything…college and real life has me occupied. That being said, I wanted to give you guess a little something to let you know that this story IS NOT DEAD! I WILL update. Just give me a couple weeks to make the time. After that, I'll start updating on a regular basis, promise. **** R&R please!**


End file.
